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2. 
A PAPIST 

MISREPRESENTED 



REPRESENTED: 

OR, A 

TWO-FOLD CHARACTER 

OF 

POPERY: 



-at/ 46 



The one containing a sum of the superstitions, idolatries, 

cruelties, treacheries, and wicked principles laid 

to their charge : 

The other laying open that religion which those termed 

Papists own and proOjss, the chief articles of their 

faith, and the principal grounds and reasoiis 

which attach them to it. 



BY THE REV. JOHN GOTHER. 



CINCINNATI: 

rUBLISIIED FOR THE CATHOLIC SOCIETY FOR THE 
DIFFUSION OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE. 



Stercotj-ped I»y Munfort & Conahans. 



^^i't: 






APPROBATION. 

The " Papist Misrepreseiited and Eepre- 
sented " published for the " Catholic Society 
for the Diffusion of Religious Knowledge" 
is an excellent work, and as such I recom- 
mend it to the faithful of this diocess. 

E. T. COLLINS, V. G. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The father of lies is the author of mis- 
representation. He first made the experi- 
ment of this black art in Paradise: having 
no surer way of bringing God's precepts 
into contempt, and making our parents 
transgress, than by misrepresenting the 
command which their Maker had laid upon 
them. And so unhappily successful was he 
in this first attempt, that this has been his 
chief stratagem ever since, for maintaining 
himself in his usurpation, and propagating 
error and vice amongst men, by discrediting 
virtue and truth; and therefore there has 
nothing of good yet come into the world, 
nothing been sent from heaven, but what 
has met with this opposition, the common 
enemy having employed all his endeavours 
to bring it into discredit, and render it 
infamous by misrepresenting it. Of this 
there are frequent instances in scripture, 
and more in church history. The truth 
of this was experienced on the person of 
Christ himself, who, though he was the Son 
of God, the immaculate Lamb, yet was he 
not out of the reach of calumny, nor ex- 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

empt from being misrepresented. See in 
the gospel how he was painted by mali- 
cious men, the ministers of Satan, as a pro- 
fane and wicked man, a breaker of the Sab- 
bath, a glutton, a friend and companion of 
publicans and sinners, a conjuror, a traitor, 
a seducer, a raiser of seditions, a Samari- 
tan, and full of the devil: he hath Beelzebub, 
said they, and by the prince of the devils 
casteth he out devils; (Mark iii. 22.) there 
being no other way of frightening the peo- 
ple from embracing the truth, and follow- 
ing the Son of God, but by thus disfiguring 
him to the multitude, reporting light to be 
darkness, and God to be the devil. The 
disciples of Christ every where met with 
the like treatment. The people were stir- 
red up against St. Stephen by misrepresen- 
tation, because they heard he had spoken 
bJasp)e7nous words against Moses and against 
God; (Acts vi. 11.) and against Paul, be- 
cause they were told he taught all men 
every ichere against the people, and polluted 
the holy place. (Acts xxi. 23.) They charg- 
ed him also with being a pestilent fellow, 
and a mover of sedition amongst all the 
Jews throughout the world. (Acts xxi v. 5.) 
Neither did these calumnies, these wicked 
misrepresentations stop here: he that said 
the disciple is not above his master, and if 
they have called the inaster of the house 
Beelzebub, hoiv much more shall they call 



INTRODUCTION. 5 

iliem of his household? (Matt. x. 21, 25.) did 
not only foretel what was to happen to his 
followers then present, but also to ihe faith- 
ful that were to succeed them, and to his 
Church in future ages, they being all to 
expect the like treatment; so that though 
they should be never so just to God and 
their neighbour, upright in their ways, and 
live in the fear of God, and the observance 
of his laws; yet must they certainly be 
reviled and hated by the world, made a 
byeword to the people, have the repute of 
seducers, and be a scandal to all nations. 
And has not this been verified in all ages? 
See what was the state of Christians in the 
primitive times, when as yet vice had not 
corrupted the morals of the generality of the 
faithful. It is almost impossible to believe 
in what contempt they were, and how ut- 
terly abominated. Tcrtullian, who was an 
eye-witness, gives us so lamentable an ac- 
count of the Christians in his time, that, 
were it possible, it would move compassion 
in stones. lie tells us so malicious slanders 
were dispersed abroad concerning the man- 
ner of their worship, and their whole reli- 
gion described, not only to be mere folly 
and foppery, but also to be grounded on 
most hellish principles, and to be so full of 
impieties, that the heathens believed a man 
could not make profession of Christianity, 
without being tainted with all sorts of 
1* 



INTRODUCTION. 

crimes; without being an enemy to the 
gods, to princes, to the laws, to good man- 
ners, and to nature itself. So that Chris- 
tianity was wholly infamous amongst the 
heathens, condemned and detested by all, 
and most bloody persecutions raised against 
the professors of it, whilst they were guilty 
of no other crime but adhering to the truth. 
And it was these calumnies, these false ac- 
cusations, invented to cry down the Chris- 
tian religion, that obliged Tertullian to 
write his Apology, wherein he declared to 
the world, that Christianity was nothing 
like that which the heathens imagined it 
to be; that idolatry, superstition, impiety, 
cruelty, treachery, conspiracies, &c.were 
none of their doctrine, but condemned and 
detested by them; that these crimes were 
only the malicious inventions of the hea- 
thenish priests, who finding themselves 
unable to withstand the force of Christian- 
ity, had no other way to preserve them- 
selves in repute, and keep the people in 
their error than by an ugly, odious, and 
most horrible vizor, a damnable scheme of 
religion; and then holding this forth to the 
world, and crying out, "This is the reli- 
gion of Christians: these are their princi- 
ples; behold their ignorance, their stupi- 
dity, their profaneness; behold their inso- 
lence, their villanies, a people insufferable 
in a commonwealth, enoinies to their coun- 



I 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

try and their prince:" and thus represent- 
ing it as monstrous as they pleased, they 
brought an odium upon as many as owned 
that name, and condemned them for follies 
and crimes that were no where but in their 
own imagination. And now, when by the 
propagation of Christianity, and the labo- 
rious endeavours of its professors, heathen 
ism was pretty well extinct; yet was not 
the mouth of malice stopped, the calumnies 
which had been invented by the infidels, be- 
ing taken up by evil Christians; no one go- 
ing out from the communion of the Church 
of Christ, but what did, by the revival of 
old scandals, and the addition of fresh 
ones, endeavour to make her infamous, and 
blacken her with such crimes as could be 
thought most convenient for rendering her 
odious to all: it being looked upon by as 
many as went out of her, the best means 
to justify their separation, and to gain to 
themselves the character of orthodox Chris- 
tians, to paint her in all the antichristian 
colours, and represent her as hellish as 
wickedness could make her. It is strange 
how much she suffered in this point from 
the Manichees, and from the Donatists; and 
how much pains it cost St. Augustine to 
prove the accusations to be mere calumnies, 
principally intended to raise prejudices in 
the minds of the people against her; that so 
being convinced by these hellish artifices, 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

of her teaching unsound and profane doc- 
trine, wicked principles and human inven- 
tions instead of divine faith, they might 
never think of going to her to learn the 
truth, nor even so much as to suspect her 
to be the Church of Christ. This, St. Au- 
gustine complains, was the chief cause of 
his continuing in the errors of the Manic- 
hees so long, and that he impugned with so 
much violence this church: and therefore, 
after he was come to the knowledge of the 
truth, he discovered this to the world, for 
the undeceiving of others who were caught 
in the same snare; making it a part of his 
confessions: — ''When I came to discover 
the truth," says he, " I mingled joys and 
blushes, and was ashamed that I had now 
for so many years been barking and rail 
ing, not against the Catholic faith, but only 
against the fictions of my carnal conceits. 
For so temerarious and impious was I, that 
those things which I ought first to have 
learned from them by enquiry, I charged 
upon them by accusation; readier to impose 
falsehood than be informed of the truth. — 
And thus I so blindly accused the Catholic 
Church, now sufficiently cleared to me, that 
she taught not the opinions I so vehemently 
persecuted." And this he did, deluded and 
deceived by the Manichees. — And now since 
it is certain that this has not been the case 
of St, Augustine alone, but of as many al- 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

most as have given ear to the deserters of 
this Church; — nay, is at this day the case 
of infinite numbers who, following that 
great father when as yet in his errors, do 
not enquire how this thing is believed or 
understood by her, but insultingly oppose 
all, as if so understood as they imagine; not 
making any difference betwixt that which 
the Catholic Church teaches, and what they 
think she teaches; and so believing her to 
be guilty of as many absurdities, follies, 
impieties, &c. as the heathens did of old : 
it is evident there is as much need now of 
apologies as ever there was in Tertullian's 
or St. Augustine's time: not apologies to 
vindicate what is really her faith and doc- 
trine, but rather to clear her from such 
superstitions, profaneness, and wicked prin- 
ciples, as are maliciously or ignorantly 
charged upon her. And though the num- 
ber of calumnies, the insincerity of adver- 
saries, the obstinacy of a biassed education, 
render a performance in this kind a just 
task for a Tertullian's or St. Augustine's 
hand; yet because I find no such eminent 
pen engaged in this design at present, and 
the shewing the true religion in its own 
colours, seems a duty incumbent on every 
one that is a lover of truth; I will endea- 
vour to pull off the vizor from suffering 
Christianity, and apologise for the Catholic 
Faith; that faith 1 mean maintained by the 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

primitive fathers with so much vigour and 
zeal, which being planted in the head city 
of the world by St. Peter, hath been propa- 
gated throughout the universe, and derived 
down to us by many Christian nations in 
communion with that See, under the pro- 
tection of the Holy Ghost, and the charge 
of a chief pastor, which beginning in that 
great apostle, has continued in a visible 
succession to these our days. This faith it 
is for which at present I design to make 
an apology, which having been in all ages 
violently opposed, does at this time most 
wrongfully suffer under calumnies and false 
imputations. I will endeavour therefore to 
separate these calumnies and scandals from 
what is really the faith and doctrine of that 
church; I will take off the black and dirt 
which have been thrown upon her, and set- 
ting her forth in her genuine complexion, 
let the world see how much fairer she is 
than she is painted; and how much she is 
unlike that monster which is showed for 
her. And because the members of this 
church are commonly known by the name 
of Papists, I think I cannot take a more 
sincere, open, and compendious way, in or- 
der to the completing of this design, than 
by drawing a double character of a Papist; 
the one expressing a Papist in those very 
colours as he is painted in the imaginations 
of the vulgar, most foul, black, and anti- 



INTRODUCTION. II 

christian, with the chief articles of his ima- 
gined belief, and imputed pinciples of his 
profession : — the other representing a Papist 
whose faith and exercise of religion are ac- 
cording to the direction and command of 
his Church; that so these two being thus 
set together, their difference and dispropor- 
tion may be clearly discerned, and a dis- 
covery made how unlike calumny is from 
truth, and how different a Papist is from 
what he is said to be. The former charac- 
ter is that of a Papist misrepresented; the 
other is that of a Papist represented. — The 
former is of a Papist so deformed and mons- 
trous, that he justly deserves the hatred of 
as many as own Christianity; the other Pa- 
pist is one that lives and believes accord- 
ing to what is prescribed in the Council of 
Trent, in the Catechism set forth by Catho- 
lics, and other spiritual books for the direc- 
tion of all in their communion, whose faith 
and doctrine I have here set down, with 
some grounds and reasons of it, and so will 
leave it to apologise for itself In draw- 
ing out the character of the former I have 
quoted no authors, but have described him 
exactly according to the apprehension I 
had of a Papist, framed by me when I 
was a Protestant; with the addition only 
of some few points, which liave been vio- 
lently charged against me by some intimate 
friends of late, to show the unreasonable- 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

ness of my choice, after the quitting of that 
communion. The latter is wholly copied 
from the Papist that I am now; being the 
sum of what I was taught when reconciled 
to the Church of Rome; and which, after 
sixteen years conversation with men of 
that communion, in hearing their sermons, 
in being present at their catechising, in read- 
ing their books and discoursing with them, 
I have found to be their doctrine. I have 
done both, I hope, with sincerity and truth, 
and without passion. For as my endea- 
vours have been that my religion should 
lose nothing by lies, so neither do I desire 
that it should gain any thing by them; and 
did I but know of any thing in the follow- 
ing pages, that has any relation to the anti- 
christian artifice, I would strike it out im- 
mediately; and do here pledge myself upon 
information, either from friend or adver- 
sary, to acknowledge the mistake, as it 
shall be made appear, and make a public 
recantation. — But it is time we should see 
what these Papists are. 



A PAPIST 

MISREPRESENTED AND REPRESENTED. 



OF PRAYING TO BIAGES. 

A Papist misrepresented worships stocks 
and stones for gods : he takes no notice of 
the Second Commandment, but setting up 
pictures and images of Christ, the Virgin 
Mary, and his other Saints, he prays to 
them, and puts his trust and confidence in 
them; much like as the heathens did in their 
wooden gods, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, &c. and 
for this reason he erects stately monuments 
to them in his churches, adorns them sump- 
tuously, burns candles, offers incense, and 
frequently falls down prostrate before them, 
and with his eyes fixed upon them, cries 
out, help me, Mary; assist me, Anthony; 
remember me, Ignatius. 

A Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable to worship stocks and stones for 
gods, to pray to pictures or images of 
Christ, of the Virgin Mary, or of any other 
Saints, to believe any virtue or divinity in 



14 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

them, or to put any trust or confidence in 
them. He is expressly taught the contrary 
to all this by the Council of Trent, {Sess, 
25.) and his very children are instructed in 
their Catechisms, which are in I he hands 
of all, that they must " by no means pray 
to pictures or images, because they can 
neither see, nor hear, nor help them. See 
Abstract of the Douay Catechism^ upon the 
first Commandment; Abridgement of the 
Christian Doctrine, chap. iv. &c. But what 
use then does the Papist make of pictures 
or images of Christ, of the blessed Virgin, 
or other Saints? Why, he keeps them by 
him to preserve in his mind the memory of 
the person represented by them,- as people 
are wont to preserve the memory of their 
deceased friends by keeping their pictures. 
He is taught to use them, so as to cast his 
eyes upon the pictures or images, and thence 
to raise his heart to the things represented, 
and there to employ it in meditation, love, 
and thanksgiving, desire of imitation, &c. 
as the object requires: as many good Chris- 
tians, placing a deatWs head before them, 
from the sight of it, take occasion to reflect 
upon their last end, in order to their better 
preparing for it; or by seeing Old Time, 
painted with his fore-Jock, hour-glass, and 
scythe, turn their thoughts upon the swift- 
ness of time, and that whosoever neglects 
the present, is in danger of beginning then 



AJ^D REPRESENTED. 15 

to desire to lay hold of it when there is on 
more of it to come. These pictures or ima- 
ges have this advantage, that they inform 
the mind by one glance, of what in reading 
might require a whole chapter; there being 
no other difference between them, than that 
reading presents leisurely, and by degrees, 
and a picture all at once. Hence he finds a 
convenience in saying his prayers with 
some devout pictures before him, he being 
no sooner distracted but the sight of these 
recall his wandering thoughts to the right 
object; and as certainly brings something 
good into his mind, as an immodest pic- 
ture disturbs his heart with filthy thoughts- 
And because he is sensible that these holy 
pictures and images, represent and bring to 
his mind such objects as in his heart he 
loves, honours, and venerates, he cannot 
but on that account love, honour, and re- 
spect the images themselves; as whosoever 
loves their husband, child, or friend, cannot 
but have some love and respect for their 
pictures: whosoever loves and honours his 
king, will have some honour and regard for 
his image. Not that he venerates any im- 
age or picture, for any virtue or divinity 
believed to be in them, or for any thing 
that is to be petitioned of them; but because 
the honour that is exhibited to them is re- 
ferred to those whom they represent. — So 
that it is not properly the image he honours, 



16 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

but Christ and his saints by the images: as 
it is not properly the images or pictures of 
kings or other men that we respect or in- 
jure; but by their images or pictures we 
respect or injure the persons themselves. 
All the veneration therefore he expresses 
before all images, whether by kneeling, 
lifting up the eyes, burning candles, in- 
cense, &c. is not at all done for the image, 
but is wholly referred to the things repre- 
sented, which he intends to honour by these 
actions: and how by so doing he breaks the 
second Commandment, he cannot conceive, 
for he acknowledges only one God, and to 
him alone gives sovereign honour; and 
whatsoever respect he shews to a crucifix, 
picture, or image, seems to him no more 
injurious to any of the Commandments than 
it is for a Christian to love and honour his 
neighbour, because he bears the image of 
God in his soul; to kiss and esteem the 
Bible, because it contains and represents to 
him God^s word; or to love a good preach- 
er, because he reminds him of his duty; all 
which respects do not at all derogate from 
God Almighty's honour, but are rather tes- 
timonies of our great love and honour of 
him, since, for his sake, we love and esteem 
every thing that has any respect or relation 
to him. 



AND REPRESENTED. 17 



OF WORSHIPPING SAINTS. 

The Papist misrepresented makes gods of 
dead men: such as are departed hence, and 
are now no more able to hear, or see, or 
understand his necessities. And though 
God he so good as to invite all to come to 
him, and to apply themselves to their only 
and infinite Mediator Jesus Christ,* yet so 
stupid is he, that neglecting, and, as it were, 
passing by both God and his own Son, and 
all their mercies, he betakes himself to his 
Saints, and there pouring forth his prayers, 
he considers them as his mediators and re- 
deemers, and expects no blessing but what 
is to come to him by their merits, and 
through their hands; and thus, without 
scruple or remorse, he robs God of his 
honour. 

The Papist, truly represented^ believes 
there is only one God, and that it is a most 
damnable idolatry to make gods of men 
either living or dead. His church teaches 
him indeed, (and ho believes,) that it is good 
and profitable to desire the intercession of 
Saints reigning with Christ in heaven: but 
that they arc gods, or his redeemers, he is 
no where taught; but detests all such doc- 
trine. He confesses that we arc all re- 
deemed by th.e blood of Christ alone, and 
that he is our only Mediator of redemption: 



18 



A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



but as for mediators of intercession, (that is, 
such as we may lawfully desire to pray for 
us) he does not doubt but it is acceptable to 
God we should have many. Moses was such 
a mediator for the Israelites; Job for his 
three friends; Stephen for his persecutors. 
The Romans were thus desired by St. Paul 
to be his mediators; so were the Corinthi- 
ans; so the Ephesians; Ep. ad Roju. Cor, 
Eph. So almost every sick man desires the 
congregation to be his mediators by remem- 
bering him in their prayers. And so the 
Papist desires the blessed in heaven to be 
his mediators; that is, that they would pray 
to God for him. And in this, he does not at 
all neglect coming to God, or rob him of his 
honour; but directing all his prayers up to 
him, and making him the ultimate object of 
all his petitions, he only desires sometimes 
the just on earth, sometimes those in heaven, 
to join their prayers to his, that so the num- 
ber of petitioners being increased, the peti- 
tion may find better acceptance in the sight 
of God. And this is not to make them gods, 
but only petitioners to God; it is not to make 
them his redeemers, but only intercessors 
to his Redeemer, he having no hope of ob- 
taining any thing but of God alone, by and 
through the merits of Christ; for which he 
desires the Saints in heaven, and good men 
upon earth, to offer up their prayers with 
his; the prayers of the just availing much 



AND REPRESENTED. 19 

before God. But now, how the saints in 
heaven know the prayers and necessities 
of those who address themselves to them, 
whether by the ministry of angels, or in 
the vision of God, or by some particular 
revelation, it is no part of his faith, nor is 
it much his concern that it should be deter- 
mined. For his part he does not doubt, but 
that God, who acquainted the prophets with 
the knowledge of things that were yet to 
come many hundred years after; that in- 
formed Elisha of the king of Syria's coun- 
cils, though privately resolved on in his 
bed-chamber, and at a distance, (2 Kings, 
vi. 12.) can never want means of letting the 
saints know the desires of those who beg 
their intercession here on earth; especially 
since our Saviour informs us, (Luke xiv.) 
that Abraham heard the petition of Dives, 
who was yet at a greater distance, even in 
hell; and told him likewise the manner of 
his living, while as yet on earth. Nay, 
since it is generally allowed, that even the 
very devils hear those desperate wretches 
who call on them, why should we doubt that 
the Saints want this privilege, who, though 
departed this life, are not so properly dead, 
as translated from a mortal life to an im- 
mortal one, where enjoying God Almighty, 
they lose no perfections which they enjoyed 
while on earth, but possess all in a more 
eminent manner, having more charity, more 



20 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

knowledge, more interest with God than 
ever, and becoming like angels. — {Luke xx. 
36.) And as these offered up their prayers 
for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, {Zech. 
i. 12.) so undoubtedly they likewise fall 
down before the Lamb, having every one of 
them harps, and golden vials full of odours, 
which are the prayers of the saints, Apoc. v. 8. 



OF ADDRESSING MORE SUPPLICATIONS TO THE 
VIRGIN MARY THAN TO CHRIST. 

The Papist misrepresented believes the 
Virgin Mary to be much more powerful in 
heaven than Christ, and that she can com- 
mand him to do what she thinks good: and 
for this he honours her much more than he 
does her Son, or God the Father; for one 
prayer he says to God, saying ten to the 
holy Virgin. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable to think the Virgin Mary more 
powerful in heaven than Christ; or that she 
can in any thing command him. He hon- 
ours her indeed, as one that was chosen the 
mother of God, and blessed amongst all 
women; and believes her to be most accep- 
table to God in her intercession for us, but 
owning her still as a creature, and that all 
she has of excellency is the gift of God, pro- 
ceeding from his mere goodness. Neither 



AND PwEPRESENTEB. 21 

does he at any time say even so much as 
one prayer to her, but what is directed more 
particularly to God, because offered up as a 
thankful memorial of Christ's incarnation, 
and acknowledgement of the blessedness of 
Jesus the fruit of her womb; and this with- 
out imagining there is any more dishonour- 
ing of God in his reciting the Angelical 
Salutation, than in the first pronouncing it 
by the Angel Gabriel and Elizabeth; or 
that his frequent repetition of it is any 
more an idle superstition than it was in 
David to repeat the same words over twen- 
ty-six times in the 126th psalm. 



OF PAYING DIVINE V^ORSHIP TO RELICS. 

The Papist misrepresented believes a kind 
of divinity to remain in the relics of his 
reputed sauits, and therefore adores their 
rotten bones, their corrupted flesh, their old 
rags, with divine honour, kneeling down to 
them, kissing them, and going in pilgrim- 
age to their shrines and sepulchres. And 
he is so far possessed with a conceited deity 
lying in those senseless remains, that he 
foolishly believes they work great miracles, 
and raise more to life than ever Christ 
himself did. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable to think there is any divinity in 



22 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

the relics of saints, or to adore them with 
divine honour, or to pray to their rotten 
bones, old rags, or shrines, or that they can 
work any strange cures or miracles by any 
hidden power of their own. But he be- 
lieves it good and lawful to keep them with 
veneration, and to give them a religious 
honour and respect. And this he thinks 
due to them, inasmuch as knowing himself 
obliged to respect and honour God Almighty 
from his heart, he looks upon himself as 
obliged to respect and honour every thing 
that has any particular relation to him, but 
this with an inferior honour, such as the 
Jews showed to the Ark, to the Tables of 
the Law, to Moses's rod, to the Temple, to 
the Priest. Such as we generally allow 
the Bible, because it contains God's word; 
to the Church, because it is God's house; to 
holy men and priests, because they are 
God's servants. And so he does to relics, 
because they appertain to God's favourites; 
and being insensible things, are yet sen- 
sible pledges, and lively memorials of 
Christ's servants, dead indeed to this w^orld, 
but alive with him in glory. And more 
especially because God himself has been 
pleased to honour them, by making them in- 
struments of many evident miracles which 
he has visibly worked by them, as is evi- 
dent upon undeniable record. And this he 
believes as easy fur God Almighty now. 



AND RJEPRESENTED. 23 

and as much redounding to the honour of 
his holy name, as in the old law, to work 
such miraculous effects by Moses's rod, by 
Elias's mantle, after he was taken up into 
heaven, (2 Kings ii. 14.) Eliseus's bones, 
(2 Kings xiii. 21.) and infinite other such 
insensible things; and also in the new law, 
by the hem of his own garment, (Matt. ix. 
22.) by the shadow of St. Peter, (Acts v. 
12.) by the napkin and handkerchiefs that 
had but touched the body of St. Paul, cast- 
ing out devils, and curing diseases, (Acts 
xix. 22.) and such like. And thus by hav- 
ing a veneration and respect for these, he 
honours God, and does not doubt, but that 
they that contemn and profane these do the 
like to God, as much as they did who pro- 
faned the bread of propitiation, the temple, 
and vessels that belonged to it. 



OF THE EUCHARIST. 

The Papist misrepresented believes it law- 
ful to commit idolatry, and makes it his dai- 
ly practice to worship and adore a broaden 
god, giving divine honour to those poor, 
empty elements of bread and wine. Of 
these he asks pardon for his sins; of these 
he desires grace and salvation; these he ac- 
knowledges to have been his redeemer and 
saviour, and hopes for no good but what is 
to come to him by means of these liousc- 



24 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

bold gods. And then, for his apology he 
alleges such gross contradictions, so con- 
trary to all sense and reason, that whoso- 
ever will be a Papist, must be no man; 
fondly believing that what he adores is no 
bread or wine, but Christ really present 
under those appearances; and he makes as 
many Christs, as many Redeemers, as there 
are churches, altars, or priests. When ac- 
cording to God's infallible word there is but 
one Christ, and he not on earth, but at the 
right hand of his Father in heaven. 

The Papist truly rejjreseiited believes it 
abominable to commit any kind of idolatry, 
and most damnable to worship or adore a 
breaden god, or to give divine honour to 
the elements of bread and wine. He wor- 
ships only one God, who made heaven and 
earth, and his only Son Jesus Christ our 
Redeemer, who being in all things equal 
to his Father in truth and omnipotency, 
he believes made his words good pro- 
nounced at his last supper, really giving 
his body and blood to his apostles, the spe- 
cies or accidents of bread and wine remain- 
ing as before. The same ho believes of 
the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist, 
consecrated now by priests, that it really 
contains the body of Christ, which was de- 
livered for us, and his blood, which was 
shed for the remission of sins; which being 



AND REPRESENTED. 25 

there united with the divinity, he confesses 
whole Christ to be present. And him he 
adores and acknowledges his Redeemer, 
and not any bread or wine. And for the 
believing of this mystery, he does not at all 
think it meet for any Christian to appeal 
from Christ's word to his own senses or 
reason, for the examining the truth of what 
he has said, but rather to submit his senses 
and reason to Christ's words in the obse- 
quiousness of faith; and that being the son 
of Abraham, it is more becoming him to 
believe as Abraham did, promptly, with a 
faith superior to all sense or reason, and 
whither these could never lead him. With 
this faith it is he believes every mystery 
of his religion, the Trinity, Incarnation, &c 
With this faith he believes that what de- 
scended upon our Saviour at his baptism in 
Jordan, was really the Holy Ghost though 
senses or reason could discover it to be no- 
thing but a dove. With this faith he believes 
that the man that Joshua saw standing over 
against him with his sword drawn, {Joshua 
v. 13.) and the three men that Abraham 
entertained in the plains of IMambre, (Gen. 
xviii.) were really and substantially no 
men; — and that notwithstanding all the in- 
formation and evidence of sense, from their 
colour, features, proportion, talking, eating, 
&c. of their being men, yet, without any 
discredit to his senses, he really believer 
3 



26 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

they were no such thing, because God's 
word has assured him of the contrary. 
And with this faith he believes Christ's body 
and blood to be really present in the bless- 
ed sacrament, though, to all outward ap- 
pearance, there is nothing more than bread 
and wine: thus, not at all hearkening to his 
senses in a matter where God speaks, he 
unfeignedly confesses, that he who made 
the world out of nothing by his sole word, 
that cured diseases by his word, that raised 
the dead by his word, that commanded the 
winds and the seas, that multiplied bread, 
that changed water into wine by his word, 
and sinners into just men, cannot want 
power to change bread and wine into his 
own body and blood by his sole word. And 
this without danger of multiplying his body, 
of making as many Christs as altars, or 
leaving the right hand of his Father; but 
only by giving to his body a supernatural 
manner of existence, by which, being with- 
out extension of parts, rendered indepen- 
dent of place, it may be one and the same 
in many places at once, and whole in every 
part of the symbols, and not obnoxious to 
any corporal contingencies. And this kind 
of existence is no more than what in a man- 
ner he bestows upon every glorified body; 
than what his own body had, when born 
without the least violation of his mother's 
virginal integrity; when he arose from the 



AND REPRESENTED. 27 

dead, out of the sepulchre, without remov- 
ing the stone; when he entered amongst his 
disciples, the doors being shut. And though 
he cannot understand how this is done, yet 
,he undoubtedly believes that God is able to 
do more than he is able to understand. 



OF MERITS AND GOOD WORKS. 

The Papist misrepresented believes Christ's 
death and passion to be ineffectual and insig- 
nificant, and that he has no dependence upon 
the merits of his sufferings, or the mercy 
of God for obtaining salvation, but that 
he is to be saved by his own merits. And, 
for this reason, he is very zealously busy 
in fasting, in watching, in going in proces- 
sion, in wearing hair-shirts, and using a 
thousand such like mortifications; and hav- 
ing done this, he thinks himself not at all 
beholden to God for his salvation, and that 
to give him heaven will be no favour; it 
being now his due, upon the account of his 
meritorious achievements, without any of 
God's mercy through Christ's passion or 
his Maker's goodness. 

The Papist Iruhj represented believes it 
damnable to say that Christ's death and 
passion are ineflcctual and insignificant, and 
that it is the doctrine of devils to believe 
that he has no dcpendance for his salvation 



28 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

upon the merits of Christ's sufferings, or 
the mercy of God; but only upon his own 
merits and good works. It is his faith to 
believe that of ourselves we are not suffi- 
cient so much as to think a good thought; 
that the grace by which we are justified is 
given us purely gratis, upon the account of 
Christ's merits: moreover, that no man, how 
just soever, can merit any thing either in 
this life or in that to come, independent of 
the merits and passion of Jesus Christ; 
nevertheless, that through the merits of 
Christ, the good works of a just man pro- 
ceeding from grace, are so acceptable to 
God, that through his goodness and promise 
they are truly meritorious of eternal life; 
and this he has learned from the apostle, 
(2 Tim. iv. 8.) where he is taught that there 
is a crown of justice, which our Lord, a 
just judge, will render at the last day; not 
only to St. Paul, but also to all those that 
shall have fought a good fight, and consum- 
mated their course, kept ^:he faith, and loved 
his coming; knowing, therefore, that at the 
day of judgment he is to receive according 
to his works J he endeavours by good works 
to make his vocation and election sure, (2 
Peter i. 10.) and in following this counsel, 
he thinks he no more offends against the 
fullness of the merits of Christ or God's 
mercy, than the apostle does in giving it. 



AND REPRESENTED. 29 



OF CONFESSION. 

The Papist misrepresented believes it part 
of his religion to make gods of men, fool- 
ishly thinking they have power to forgive 
sins. And therefore as often as he finds 
his conscience oppressed with the guilt of 
his offences, he calls for one of his priests, 
and having run over a catalogue of his sins, 
he asks of him pardon and forgiveness; and 
what is most absurd of all, he is so stupid 
as to believe that if his ghostly Father, 
after he has heard all his villanies in his 
ear, does but pronounce three or four Latin 
words over his head, his sins are forgiven 
him, although he had never any thoughts 
of amendment, or intention to forsake his 
wickedness. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable in any religion to make gods of 
men. However, he firmly holds, that when 
Christ speaking to his apostles, said, {John 
XX. 22.) receive ye the Holy Ghost ^ lohose 
sins you shall forgive, they are forgive?!, 
and ivhose si7is you shall retain, they are 
retained; he gave them and their succces- 
sors, the bisliops and priests of the Catho- 
lic Church, autiiority to absolve any truly 
penitent shiner from his sin. And God 
having thus given them the ministry of re- 
conciliation, and made them Christ^s legates, 



30 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

(2 Cor. V. 18, 19, 20) Christ's ministers, 
and the dispensers of the mysteries of Christ, 
(1 Cor. iv.) and given them poicer that what- 
soever they loose on earth shall he loosed in 
heaven, (Matt, xxviii. 18.) he undoubtedly 
believes, that wliosoever comes to them 
making a sincere and humble confession 
of his sins, with a true repentance and firm 
purpose of amendment, and a hearty reso- 
lution of turning from his evil ways, may 
from them receive absolution by the au- 
thority given them from heaven,* and no 
doubt but God ratifies above the sentence 
pronounced in that tribunal; loosing in 
heaven whatsoever is thus loosed hy them on 
earth. And that whosoever comes without 
the due preparation, without a repentance 
from the bottom of his heart, and a real 
intention of forsaking his sins, receives no 
benefit by the absolution, but adds sin to 
sin, by a high contempt of God's mercy, 
and abuse of his sacraments. 



OF INDULGENCES. 

The Papist misrepresented believes that 
his holy father the Pope can give him leave 
to commit what sin he pleaseth; especially 
if he can make him a present of a round 
sum of money, he never need doubt of in- 
dulgence or pardon for himself and his heirs 
for ever, for all sorts of crimes or wicked- 



AND REPRESENTED. 31 

ness, he or any of his posterity may have 
convenience of falling into, and having his 
commission in his pocket, under the Pope's 
broad seal, he may be confident th?.t Christ 
will confirm and stand to all that his Vicar 
upon earth has granted, and not call him to 
any account for any thing he has done, 
although he should chance to die without 
the least remorse of conscience, or repen 
tance for his sins. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable to hold that the Pope, or any 
other power in heaven or earth, can give 
him leave to commit any sins whatsoever; 
or that for any sum of money he can obtain 
an indulgence or pardon for sins that are 
to be committed by him, or his heirs, here- 
after. He firmly believes that no sins can 
be forgiven without a true and hearty re- 
pentance; but that still there is a power 
in the Church of granting indulgences, by 
which, as he is taught in his Catechism, 
nothing more is meant than a releasing, to 
such as are truly penitent, the debt of tem- 
poral punishment which remained due on 
account of those sins, which as to the guilt 
and eternal punishment had been already re- 
mitted by rc[)cntance and confession. For 
we see in the case of King David, (2 Sam, 
xii. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.) that the debt of 
temporal punishment is not always remitted 



32 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

when the guilt of the sin is remitted; and 
as the Church of God from the beginning 
was ever convmced of this truth, therefore, 
besides the hearty repentance and confes- 
sion which she insisted upon in order for 
the discharge of the guilt of sin, she also 
required severe penances, sometimes of 
three, seven, ten years, or more, for the 
discharge of the debt of the temporal pun- 
ishment due to divine justice. Now the 
releasing or nioderating for just causes 
these penalties incurred by sin, is called an 
indulgence. And the power of granting 
such indulgences is visibly implied in the 
promise of the keys, and of binding and 
loosing made to the pastors of the Church, 
{Matt, xvh 19.) And the exercise of this 
power was frequent in \.\\b primitive church, 
and is even authorized by the example of 
St. Paul himself, who granted such an in- 
dulgence to the incestuous Corinthian, (2 
Cor, ii. 10.) forgiving, as he says, in the 
person of Christ; that is, by the power and 
authority he had received from him. Now 
the good works usually required for the 
obtaining indulgences are, prayer, fasting, 
visiting churches, confession, communion, 
and alms-deeds: but what money there is 
given at any time on this account, concerns 
not at all the Pope's coffers, but is by every 
one given as they please, either to the poor, 
to sick, to prisoners, &c. where they judge 



AND REPRESENTED. 33 

it most charity. As to the rest, if any abuses 
have been committed in granting or gaining 
indulgences, through the fault of some par- 
ticular persons, these cannot in justice be 
charged upon the church, to the prejudice of 
her faith and doctrine,- especially since she 
has been so careful in the retrenching them, 
as may be seen by what was done in the 
council of Trent. Decreta de indulgentiis* 



OF SATISFACTION. 

The Papist misrepresented believes very 
injuriously of Christ's passion, being per- 
suaded that his sufferings and death were 
not sufficiently satisfactory for our sins, but 
that it is necessary for every one to make 
satisfaction for themselves. And for this 
end, after he has been at confession, the 
priest enjoins him a penance, by the per- 
formance of which he is to satisfy for his 
oflcnces, and thus confidently relying upon 
his own penitential works, he utterly eva- 
cuates Christ's passion, and though he pro- 
fesses himself a Christian, and that Christ 
is his Saviour, yet by his little trusting to 
him, he seems to think him to be no better 
than what his crucifix informs, that is, a 
mere wooden one. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable to think injuriously of Christ!s pas- 



M A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

sion: nevertheless he believes, that though 
condign satisfaction for the guilt of sin, and 
the pain eternal due to it, be proper only to 
Christ our Saviour; yet that penitent sin- 
ners being redeemed by Christ, and made 
his members, may in some measure satisfy 
by prayers, fasting, alms, &c. for the tem- 
poral pain, which by order of God's justice, 
sometimes remains due after the guilt, and 
the eternal pains are remitted; so that trust- 
ing Christ as his Redeemer, he yet does 
not think that by Christ's sufferings every 
Christian is discharged of his particular 
sufferings, but that every one is to suffer 
something for himself, as St. Paul did, who 
by many tribulations, and by sufferings in 
his oion Jlesh, filled up that ivhich ivas want- 
ing of the passion of Christ, and this not 
only for himself, but for the whole church. 
(Coloss. i. 24.) And this he finds every 
where in scripture, I'z;:. people admonished of 
the greatness of their sins, doing penance in 
fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, and by volun- 
tary austerities, endeavouring to satisfy the 
divine justice; and these personal satisfac- 
tions God has sufficiently also minded him 
of in the punishments inflicted on Moses, 
Aai'on, David, and infinite others, and even 
in the afflictions sent by God upon our own 
age, in plagues, icars, fires, persecutions, 
rehellions and such like ; which, few are so 
atheistical,, but they confess to be sent from 



AND REPRESENTED. 3^5 

neaven for the.just chastisement of our sins, 
and which we are to undergo, notwithstand- 
ing the infinite satisfaction made by Christ, 
and without any undervaluing it. Now be- 
ing thus convinced of some temporal punish- 
ments being due to his sins, he accepts of 
all tribulations, whether in body, name, or 
estate, from whencesoever they come, and 
with others of their own choosing, offers 
them up to God for the discharging this 
debt, still confessing that his offences de- 
serve still more; but these penitential works 
he is taught to be no otherwise satisfactory 
than as joined and applied to the satisfac- 
tion which Jesus made upon the cross* in 
virtue of which alone, all our good works 
find a grateful acceptance in God's sight. 



OF READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

The Papist misrepresented believes it part 
of his duty to speak irreverently of the 
Holy Scripture, to do what he is able to 
lessen the repute of it, and bring it into 
disgrace; and for this end, he says it is ob- 
scure, full of ambiguous expressions, and 
not fit to be read by the vulgar, nor fit to 
be translated into vulgar languages; and 
without respect to Christ or his apostles, 
profanely teaches, that no ten books in the 
world have done so much mischief to Chris- 
tianity, as this one; and under a vain pro- 



36 A. PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

tcnce of preventing farther inconveniencies, 
endeavours to deprive all of this spiritual 
comfort, of this divine food, of this heavenly 
light, that so being kept in darkness, they 
may be also preserved in ignorance, and 
damned eternally. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable in any one, to think, speak, or do 
any thing irreverently towards the scrip- 
ture, or by any means whatsoever to bring 
it into disrepute or disgrace: he holds it in 
the highest veneration of all men living, he 
professes it to be the pure oracles of God, 
and that we are rather bound to lose our 
lives than concur any way to its profana- 
tion. It is true he does not think it fit to 
be read generally, by all, in the vulgar ton- 
gues; not for any disrespect to it, but, 1. 
because he understands that private inter- 
pretation is not proper for the scripture, (2 
Pet. 1. 20.) 2. Because in the epistles of 
St. Paul are certain things hard to he un- 
derstood, lohich the unlearned and unstable 
unrest, as also the rest of the scriptures, to 
their own perdition, (2 Pet. iii. 16.) 3. Be- 
cause God has given only sojne to be apos- 
tles, some prophets, other some evangelists, 
and some pastors and teachers, (Eph. iv. 11.) 
For these reasons he is taught that, it is not 
convenient for the scripture to be read in- 
differently by all men, but only by such as 



AND REPRESENTED. 37 

are humble, discreet, and devout, and such 
as are willing to observe directions in the 
perusing this sacred volume; that is, to take 
notice of all godly histories, and imitate 
examples of humility, chastity, obedience, 
mercy to the poor, &c. and in all hard, ob- 
scure, and disputable points, to refer all to 
the arbitration of the church, to the judg- 
ment of those whom God has appointed pas- 
tors and teachers; never presuming to con- 
tend, control, teach, or talk of their ow^n 
sense and fancy in deep questions of divin- 
ity, and high mysteries of faith ; but expect- 
ing the sense of these from the lips of the 
priest^ who shall keep knowledge^ and from 
whose mouth they shall require the law. (Mai. 
ii. 7.) This caution is used, lest the scrip- 
ture coming into the hands of a presuming 
sort of proud, curious, and contentious peo- 
ple, be abused and perverted, who make it 
their business to enquire into high and hid- 
den secrets of God's counsels, and upon the 
presumption of I know not what spirit, 
immediately become teachers, controllers, 
and judges of doctors, church, scripture and 
all; and acknowledging no authority left by 
Christ, to which they are to submit, under 
pretence of scripture and God's word, make 
way for all sorts of profanencss, ir religion, 
and atheism; so that it is not for the pre- 
serving ignorance he allows a restraint up- 
on the reading the scripture, but for the 
4 



S8 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

preventing a blind ignorant presumpti<m, 
and that it may be done to edification and 
not to destruction, and without casting what 
is holy to dogs, or pearls to swine. 



OF THE SCRIPTURE AS A RULE OF FAITH. 

The Papist misrepresented believes it his 
obligation to undervalue the scripture, and 
take from it that authority which Christ 
gave it. For whereas Christ left this to the 
world as the rule of faith, and as a sacred 
oracle from whence ail his followers might 
be instructed in the pi^ceptsof a good life, 
learn all the mysteries of their faith, and 
be resolved in all difficult and doubtful 
points of religion; he is taught flatly to 
deny all this, and to believe that the scrip- 
ture is not capable of deciding any one 
point of controversy, or reconciling the dif- 
ferent sentiments of men in religion; and 
thus he demeans himself towards the word 
of God in a manner unbecoming a Christian. 

The Papist truly rej^resenfed believes it 
damnable to undervalue the scripture, or to 
take from it the authority given it by 
Christ. He gives it all respect due to the 
word of God; — he owns it to be of the 
greatest authority upon earth, and that it is 
capable of leading a man to all truth, 
where it is rightly understood. But to any 



AND REPKESENTED. 39 

one that understands it, and takes it in any- 
other sense than it was intended by the 
Holy Ghost, he believes it to such a one to 
be no scripture, no word of God; that to 
such a one it is no rule of faith, nor judge 
of controversies; and that what he thinks 
to be the doctrine of Christ, and command 
of heaven, is nothing but his own imagina- 
tion and the suggestions of the devil-. And 
since by the experience of so many hundred 
heresies since our Saviour's time, all pre- 
tending to be grounded on scripture, he 
finds that almost every text of the Bible 
and even those that concern the most essen 
tial and fundamental points of the Chris- 
tian religion, have been interpreted several 
ways, and made to signify things contrary 
to one another; and while thus contrary 
meanings are by several persons drawn 
from the same word, the scripture is still 
silent, without discovering which of all 
these senses is that intended by the Holy 
Ghost, and agreeable to truth; and which 
are erroneous and anti-christian: he con- 
cludes that the scripture alone, without 
taking along with it the interpretation of 
the Church, cannot be to every private per- 
son the whole rule of his faith. Not that 
there is any authority wanting on the scrip- 
lure side, but because no private person can 
be certain whether, amongst all the several 
meanings every text is liable to, that which 



40 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

he understands it in is right or not. And 
without this certainty of truth, and secu- 
rity from error, he knows there is nothing 
capable of being a sufficient rule of his] 
faith. 



OF THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE. 

The Papist misrepresented believes that 
his church, which he calls Catholic, is above 
the scripture; and profanely allows to her 
an uncontrolable authority of being judge 
of the word of God ; and being fondly abus 
ed into a distrust of the scriptures, and that 
he can be certain of nothing, not even of 
the fundamentals of Christianity, from what : 
is delivered in them though they speak 
never so plainly; he is taught wholly to | 
rely upon this Church, and not to believe i 
one word the scripture says, unless his 
church says so too. 

The Papist truly represented believes that 
the Church is not above the scripture; but 
allows that order between them as is be- 
tween the judge and the law; afid is no 
other than what generally every private 
member of the reformation challenges to 
himself, as often as he pretends to decide 
any doubt of his own, or his neighbour, in 
religion, by interpreting the scripture. — 
Neither is he taught at all to distrust the 



AND REPRESENTED. 41 

scripture, or not to rely on it, but only to 
distrust his own private interpretation of it, 
and not to rely on his own judgment in the 
resolution of any doubt concerning faith or 
religion, though he can produce several 
texts in favour of his opinion: but in all 
such cases he is commanded to recur, to the 
Church; and having learned from her the 
true sense of all such texts, how they have 
been understood by the whole community 
of Christians, in all ages since the apostles; 
and what has been their received doctrine 
in such doubtful and difficult points; he is 
obliged to submit to this, and never pre- 
sume on his own private sentiments, how- 
ever seemingly grounded on reason and 
scripture, to believe or preach any new doc- 
trine opposite to the belief of the Church; 
but as he receives from her the book, so 
also to receive from her the sense of the 
book; with a holy confidence, that she that 
did not cheat him in delivering a false book 
for a true one, will not cheat him in deliv- 
ering a false and erroneous sense for the 
true one; her authority, which is sufficient 
in the one, being not less in the other; and 
his own private judgment, which was insuf-^ 
ficient in the one, that* is, in finding out the 
true scripture, and discerning it from all 
other books, being as incapable and insuffi 
cient in the other, that is, in certainly dis- 
covering the meaning of the Holy Chost, 
4* 



^ A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



'and avoiding all other heterodox and mis 
taken interpretations. 



1 



OF TRADITION. 

The Papist misrepresented believes the 
Holy Scripture to be imperfect; and for the 
supplying of what he thinks defective in it, 
he admits human ordinations and traditions 
of men; allowing equal authority to tliese 
as to the scriptures themselves, thinking 
himself as much obliged to submit to these, 
and believe them with divine faith, as he 
does whatsoever is written in the Bible, 
and confessedly spoken by the Author of 
all Truth, God himself Neither will he 
admit any one to be a member of his com- 
munion, although he undoubtedly believes 
every word that is written in the scripture, 
unless he also assents to the traditions, and 
gives as great credit to them as to the word 
of God, although in that there is not the 
least footstep to be found. 

The Papist truly represented believes the 
scripture not to be imperfect, nor to want 
human ordinations, or traditions of men, for 
the supplying any defects in it; neither does 
he allow the same authority to these as to 
the word of God, or give them equal credit, 
or exact it from others that desire to be 
admitted into the communion of his churck. 



AND REPRESENTED. 43 

He believes no divine faith ought to be 
given to any thing but w^hat is of divine 
revelation; and that nothing is to have 
place in his creed but what was taught him 
'by Christ and his apostles, and has been be- 
lieved and taught in all ages by the Church 
of God, the congregation of all true be- 
lievers, and has been so delivered down to 
him thiN>ugh all ages. Rut now whether 
that which has been delivered down to him 
as the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, 
has been by word of mouth or writing, is 
altogether indifferent to him, he being ready 
to follow, in this point, as in all others, the 
command of St. Paul, that is, to stand fast, 
and to hold the tradition he has learned, 
whether hy ivord or epistle, (2 Thess. ii. 25.) 
and to look upon any one as anathema that 
shall preach otherwise than he has (thus) 
received. (Gal. i. 9.) So that as he un- 
doubtedly holds the whole Bible to be the 
word of God, because in all ages it has 
been so taught, preached, believed, and de- 
livered successively by the faithful, al- 
though they are not, nor have at any time 
been able to prove what they have thus 
taught and delivered with one text of scrip- 
t'Ur^; in the like manner, he is ready to 
receive and believe all this same conijrega- 
tion, together ^vith the Bible, in all ages 
successively, without interruption taught, 
preached, believed, and delivered as the 



44 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

doctrine of Christ and his Apostles; and 
assents to it with divine faith, just as he 
does to the Bible; and esteems any one* 
anathema that shall preach otherwise than 
he has thus received. 



OF COUNCILS. 

The Papist misrepresented believes that 
the faith of his Church may receive new 
additions every day, and that he is not only 
obliged to believe what Christ and his apos- 
tles taught, but also. every definition or 
decree of any general council o.ssembled by 
the Pope; so that as often as any thing is 
issued out by the authority of any of these 
church parliaments, and ordered to be be- 
lieved, he thinks himself under pain of 
damnation, immediately bound to receive 
it, and having added it to his creed, to as- 
sent to it with as firm, steadfast, and divine 
a faith, as if it had been commanded by 
Christ himself, and decreed in the consis- 
tory of heaven. 

The Papist tnily represented believes that 
the faith of the Church can receive no 
additions, and that he is obliged to believe 
nothing besides that which Christ and his 
apostles taught, and if any thing contrary 
to this should be defined and commanded to 
be believed, even by ten thousand councils^ 



AND REPRESENTED. 45 

he believes it damnable in any one to re- 
ceive it, and by such decrees to make addi- 
tions to his creed. However, he maintains 
the authority of general councils lawfully 
assembled, whose business it is, not to coin 
new articles of faith, or devise fresh tenets, 
but only as often as any point of received 
doctrine is impugned or called in question, 
to debate the matter, and examine what has 
been the belief of all nations (who are there 
present in their prelates) in that point, and 
this being agreed upon to publish and make 
known to the world which is the Catholic 
doctrine left by Christ and his apostles, and 
which the new broached error; and by 
this means to prevent the loss of an infinite 
number of souls, which might otherwise be 
deluded, and carried away after new inven- 
tions. And in this c^se he believes he is 
obliged to submit, and receive the decrees 
of such a council: the pastors and prelates 
there present being by Christ and his apos- 
tles appointed for the decision of such con- 
troversies, they having the care of that 
flock committed to them, over which the 
Holy Ghost has made them overseers to feed 
the Church of God, (Acts xx. 28.) and to 
watch against those men who should arise 
fro?n among themselves, spcaldug perversa 
things to draw disciples after tlicm, (Acts v. 
30.) and he having received command, as 
likewise the whole /lock of Christ, to obey 



45 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

their prelates, and to be subject to them who 
xvatch and are to render an account for their 
souls, (Heb. xiii. 17.) with an assurance, that 
he that heareth them hearelh Christ, and he that 
despiseth them despiseth Christ, (Luke x. 16.) 



OF INFALLIBILITY IN THE CHURCH. 

The Papist misrepresented bejieves that 
the pastors and prelates of his Church are 
infallible, and that like so many divine 
oracles, or petty deities, they are exempt 
from error, and cannot deceive, or be de- 
ceived; but this especially when they are 
met together in a general council. It being 
a main part of his^ faith, that then they are 
secure from all mistake, and it is as impos- 
sible for them, how ignorant or wicked so- 
ever, to decline either to the right hand or to 
the left in any of their definitions and decrees 
as it is for God to become the author of lies- 

The Papist truly represented believes tha^t 
the pastors and prelates of his Church are 
fallible; that there is none of them but 
what may fall into error and heresies, and 
consequently liable to be deceived. But 
that the whole Church can fail or be de- 
ceived in any one point of fjyth, this he 
believes impossible, knowing it to be built 
on better promises, such as secure her from 
all error and danger of prevarication; herr 



AND REPRESENTED. 47 

foundation being laid by Christ, against 
which the gates of hell shall not prevail; 
{Matt. xvi. 18.) the power that protects 
her being Christ himself: Behold I avi with 
you all days; [Matt, xxviii. 20.) the spirit 
that guides and teaches her being the Com- 
forter, the Holy Ghost, who shall teach her 
all things, and suggest to her all things that 
Christ has said to her; (John xiv. 26.) the 
time that she is to be thus protected, taught, 
and assisted, being not only while the apos- 
tles lived, or for the first three, four, or five 
hundred years next after, but for ever to 
the end of the world : Behold I am with you 
all days, even unto the end of the world; 
{Matt, xxviii. 20.) He will give you an- 
other Paraclete J that he may abide with you 
for ever J {John xiv. 16, 17.) the Spirit of 
Truth; and the thing, that she is to be 
thus taught to the end of the world being 
all truth : He shall teach you all truth. {John 
xvi. 13.) Now being assured by these pro- 
mises, that the Church of Christ shall be 
taught all truth by the special assistance of 
the Holy Ghost to the end of the world, he 
has faith to believe that Christ will make 
his words good, and that his Church shall 
never fail, nor be corrupted with anti-chris- 
tian doctrine, nor be the mistress of errors; 
but shall be taught all truth, and shall teach 
all truth, to the consummation of the world 
and that whosoever hears her, hears Christy 



J 



48 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



and whosoever despises her, despises Christ 
and ought to be esteemed as a heathen or 
publican. (Matt, xviii. 17.) The like assist- 
ance of the Holy Ghost he believes to be in 
all general councils, which is the Church 
representative, (as the Parliament is the 
representative of the nation.) by which they 
are specially protected from all error, in 
all definitions and declarations in matters 
of faith. So that what the apostles pro- 
nounced concerning the result of their 
council, (Acts xv. 28.) it hath seemed good 
to the Holy Ghost, and to us, he does not 
doubt, may be prefixed to all the determi- 
nations in point of faith resolved upon by 
any general council, lawfully assembled, 
since that time, or to be held to the world's 
end; the assistance being to extend as far 
as the promise. And though it be possible 
that several of the prelates and pastors in 
such an assembly, as also many others in 
communion with the Church of Christ, 
should at other times, either through pride 
or ignorance, prevaricate, make innovations 
in faith, teach erroneous doctrines, and en- 
deavour to draw numbers after them, yet 
he is taught that this does not at all argue 
a fallibility in the Church, nor prejudice 
her faith, but only the persons that thus 
unhappily fall into these errors, and cut 
themselves off from being members of the 
mystical body of Christ upon earth. Whilst 



St, I 

•a f 



AND EEPRESENTED. 49 

the belief of the Church remahis pure and 
untainted, and experiences the truth of what 
St. Paul foretold, that ravenous wolves shall 
enter in amongst you^ not sjxtring the fock; 
also of your own selves shall men arise, 
speaking perverse things, to draio away dis- 
ciples after them, (Acts xx. 29, 30,) which, 
as it proved true even in the apostles' time, 
by the fall of Nicholas and several others, 
so it has been verified in all ages since, by 
turbulent and presuming spirits broaching 
new doctrines, and making separations and 
schisms; but this without casting any more 
aspersion on the Church or congregation of 
the faithful, than the fall of Judas did on 
the apostles, or the rebellion of Lucifer on 
the hierarchy of angels. Neither does it 
reflect at all on the Church's authority, or 
make the truth of her doctrine questionable 
to him, that many of her members and pre- 
lates have been or are enormous sinners; 
because he is convinced that the promises 
of God's continued and uninterrupted as- 
sistance to his Church are not to be made 
void by the wickedness of particular men, 
in how great dignity soever. 



OF THE porE. 

The Papist misrepresented believes the 
Pope to be his gi-cat (lod, and to be far 
above all the angels; that Christ is no long- 



50 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

cr head of the Church, but that this holy 
father hath taken his place, and that what- 
soever he orders, decrees, or commands, is 
to be received by his flock with the same 
respect, submission, and awe, as if Christ 
had spoken it by his own mouth. For this, 
his Holiness having once received the triple 
crown on his head, he is now no longer 
liable to error, but is infallible, and can do 
nothing amiss. 

The Papist, truly represented^ believes the 
Pope to be none of his God, neither great 
nor little, that he is not above the angels, 
but only a man. He believes that as Christ 
is supreme master, governor and Lord of 
all created things, so also of his Church, 
of which he acknowledges him to be the 
founder and head. But, as notwithstanding 
this lordship and headship of Christ over 
all things, every father of a family owns 
himself to be master of it under Christ; 
and every king is confessed supreme lord 
and governor of his dominions under God; 
so also, he believes that there is a pastor, 
governor, and head of Christ's Church un- 
der Christ, to wit, the Pope or Bishop of 
Rome, who is the successor of St. Peter, to 
whom Christ committed the care of his 
flock, and who hath been followed now by 
a visible succession of above two hundred 
and fifty bishops, acknowledged as such in 



AND REPRESENTED, 51 

all ages by the Christian world. And now 
believing the Pope to enjoy this dignity, he 
looks upon himself obliged to show that 
respect, submission, and obedience, which 
are due to his place,- a thing no body can in 
reason or conscience deny to any one in 
rule, or that has any superiority. Neither 
does he make any doubt but God assists 
those who have this high charge, with a 
particular helping grace with respect to 
their office and function for the benefit of 
the whole flock; though he is not obliged to 
believe them infallible, this being a point 
never defined by the Church, much less 
impeccable. 



OF DISPENSATIONS, 

The Papist inisrepresented believes that 
the Pope has authority to dispense with the 
laws of God, and absolve any one from the 
obligation of keeping the commandments; 
so that if he has but his holy father's leave, 
he may confidently dissemble, lie, and for- 
swear himself in all whatsoever he pleases, 
and never be in danger of being called to 
an account at the last day, especially if his 
lying and forswearing be for the common 
good of the Church; there being then a 
sure reward prepared for him in heaven, 
as a recompense for his good intentions and 
heroic achievements; and if at any time he 



5-2 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

should chance to be caught in the manage- 
ment of any of these public Church con- 
cerns, and being obnoxious to penal laws, 
should have sentence of death passed on 
him, he has liberty at his last hour on the 
scaffold or ladder, to make a public detesta- 
tion of all such crimes, to make protesta- 
tions of his innocence, to call God to wit- 
ness that he dies unjustly, and that as he is 
immediately to appear before the supreme 
judge, he knows no more of any such de- 
signs, and is as clear from the guilt of them 
as the child unborn. And this, though the 
evidence against him be as clear as noon 
day, and the jury be never so impartial, 
and the judge never so conscientious: for 
that he having taken the sacrament and 
oath of secresy, and received absolution, or 
a dispensation from the Pope, may then lie, 
swear, forswear, and protest all that he 
pleases without scruple, with a good con- 
science, christian-like, holy and canonical ly. 

The Papist truly represented believes that 
the Pope has no authority to dispense with 
the law of God, and that there is no power 
upon earth that can absolve any one from 
the obligation of keeping the command- 
ments, or give leave to lie or forswear, or 
make that the breaking of any the least 
divine precept shall not be accounted for 
g.t the day of judgment. He is taught by 



AND REPRESENTED. 53 

bis Church in all his books of direction, in 
all catechisms, in all sermons, that every 
lie is a sin, that to call God to witness an 
untruth is damnable, that it ought not to be 
done to save the whole world, that whoso- 
ever does it either for his own personal 
account or for the interest of Church or 
Pope, or whatsoever else, must of necessity 
answer for it at the last day, and expect his 
portion with the devil and his angels, if un- 
repented of; and that no one can give leave 
for lying, perjury, or committing any sin, 
or even pretend to it, unless it be the devil 
himself, or some devilish ministers of his, 
(the Catholic truly represented,) such as he 
detests in his heart, and utterly abominates. 
And in consequence of this, he believes that 
whosoever at the hour of death denies any 
crime of which he is guilty, and swears 
himself to be innocent, when he is not so, 
can have no hope of mercy, but departing 
out of this world an enemy to God and the 
truth, and with a lie in his mouth, can ex- 
pect no reward but from the father of lies. 
And this, whatsoever his crime was, whe- 
ther incurred by an undertaking for mother 
Church or not, and whatsoever his pretences 
for the denial of the truth were, whether 
absolutions, dispensations, the sacrament, 
or oath of secresy, or whatsover else, no- 
thing of these being capable of excusing 
him in lies or perjuries, or making them to 
5* 



54 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

be innocent, and not displeasing to God. 
Nor indeed did he ever hear of* these so 
much talked of dispensations and absolu- 
tions from any priest in his Church, either 
in sermons or confessions; he never read of 
them in his books and catechisms; he never 
saw the practice of them in any of his com- 
munion; it having been their custom ever 
since oaths were first devised against them, 
rather to suffer the loss of their goods, 
banishments, imprisonments, torments, and 
death itself, than forswear themselves, or 
protest the untruth. And it is not out of 
the memory of man that several might have 
saved their estates, and lives also, if they 
would have subscribed to, and owned but 
one lie, and yet they refused it; choosing 
rather an infamous death than prejudice 
their conscience with an untruth. So it 
seems a great mystery to him, that those 
of his profession should have leave and dis- 
pensation to lie and forswear themselves at 
pleasure, and yet that they should need 
nothing else but lying and perjury for the 
quiet enjoyment of their estates, for the 
saving their lives, for the obtaining places 
of the highest command and dignity, such 
as would be extraordinarily advantageous 
for their cause, and the interest of their 
Church; and yet that they should generally 
choose to forego all these so considerable 
conveniences rather than once lie or for- 



AND REPRESENTED. 55 

swear themselves. And is it not another 
great mystery, that these dispensations for 
lying and swearing should be according to 
the received doctrine of his Church; and 
yet that he or any of his communion, were 
never instructed nor informed of any such 
diabolical point? nay, had never come to 
the knowledge of it, had it not been for the 
information received from some zealous ad- 
versaries, either such as relate merely up- 
on trust, or else such as have received a 
dispensation for lying from the devil, that 
they might charge the like doctrine on the 
Pope and the Church of Rome. 



OF THE DEPOSING POWER. 

The Papist misrepresented believes that 
the Pope has authority to dispense with his 
allegiance to his prince; and that he needs 
no longer be a loyal subject, and main- 
tain the rights, privileges, and authority 
of his king than the Pope will give him 
leave. And that if this mighty father 
should think fit to thunder out an excom- 
munication against liim, then he shall be 
deemed the best subject, and most christian, 
that shall take up arms ngainst him, and 
make him a sacrifice to Home: so that there 
can be no greater danger to a king than 
to have popish subjects, he holding his life 
amongst them only at the Pope's pleasure. 



56 A PAPIST MISREPKESEKTEi) 

It is no part of the faith of the Papist 
truly represented to believe that the Pope 
has authority to dispense with his allegi- 
ance to his sovereign, or that he can despose 
princes upon any account whatsoever; or 
give leave to their subjects to take up arms 
against them, and endeavour their ruin. 
He knows that the deposing power has 
been maintained by some divines of his 
Church, and that it is, in their opinion, an- 
nexed to the papa! chair. He knows like- 
wise that some Popes have endeavoured to 
act according to this power; but he also 
knows, that this doctrine is so far from be- 
ing looked upon as an article of the Catho- 
lic Faith, that it is as earnestly opposed by 
the French Papists as it is by English Pro- 
testants. And as for any danger arising to 
kings from having popish subjects, it is very 
well known that princes in popish countries 
sit as safe on their thrones, and enjoy as 
much peace and security as any princes 
whatsoever; and the Papists here in Eng- 
gland can give as good proofs of their loyal- 
ty, and that to Protestant kings and princes, 
as the best of those that clamour so loud 
against them. 



OF COMMUNION IN ONE KIND. 

The Papist misrepresented believes, that 
he is no longer obliged to obey Christ's com- 



ATfD REPRESENTED. 5-? 

mands than his Church will give him leave; 
and that therefore, though Christ instituted 
the sacrament under boih kinds, and com- 
manded it to be so received by all, yet he 
thinks it not necessary for any to do so 
now but Priests; because his Church, for- 
sooth, hath forbidden the cup to the laity, 
and put a stop to the precept of Christ, 
Brink ye all of this. (Matt. xxvi. 27.) 

The Papist truly'^represented believes that 
he is obliged to obey all the commands of 
Christ; and that neither his Church, nor 
any other power upon earth, can limit, 
alter, or annul any precept of divine insti- 
tution, contrary to the intention of the Law- 
giver. Neither is the denial of the cup to 
the laity a practice any ways opposite to 
this his belief, he being taught that though 
Christ instituted the blessed sacrament un- 
der both kinds, and so delivered it to his 
apostles, who only then were present, and 
and whom he then made priests, yet he 
gave no command that it should bo received 
by all the faithful, but left this indiflerent, 
as it is evident from his own words, where 
he attributes the obtaining life everlasting, 
which is the end of the institution, no less 
to the receiving in one kind, than to the 
receiving under both kinds; as when he 
says, If any man cat (f this bread, he shall 
live for ever. JIc that calcth mc, the sama 



58 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

shall live hy vie. He that eatelh this bread 
shall live for ever, (John vi. 51, 57, 58;) 
and a curious reader may find as many 
texts for thus receiving under one kind as 
for the other. Thus St. Augustine was of 
opinion, that Christ himself administered 
the sacrament to some of his disciples un- 
der one kind only, viz. to the two going to 
Emmaus, (Luke xxiv. 30.) and that the 
apostles afterwards did often practise the 
like, when they assembled to break bread, 
(Acts ii, &c.) which places he and other 
fathers explain of the sacrament, Aug. L. 
Conf. Evatig. c. 49.; and that it was the 
custom of tlie primitive Christians to give 
it under one kind to children, to the sick, 
and to the faithful in time of persecution; 
and that men on a journey used to carry it 
with them, is attested both by ancient wri- 
ters and modern historians. Nay, he finds 
it was the practice of the Church to com- 
municate under one kind only, or else un- 
der both, as every one thought good, for 
the first four hundred years after Christ: 
and that the first precept of receiving un- 
der both kinds was given to the faithful by 
Pope Leo I. in the year 443, and confirmed 
by Pope Gelasius in 490, not for the cor- 
recting any abuse that had crept into the 
Church, but for discovering the Manichees, 
who being of the opinion that Christ had 
no true blood, and that wine was the gall 



AND REPRESENTED. 59 

of the devil, used to lurk among the Chris- 
tians, and receiving under the form of 
bread only, as the rest did, remained un- 
distinguished, till by this obligation of all 
receiving the cup, which they judged un- 
lawful and abominable, they were detected. 
And now, if a thing, till that time indiffe- 
rent, was for these motives determined by 
ecclesiastical precept, and so observed for 
some hundred years without scruple or 
questioning the authority, why should he 
doubt to submit to the same authority, when 
upon different motives and circumstances 
they issue forth another precept? Few 
doubt of this in the manner of eating stran- 
gled meats and blood, which, though for- 
bid by the apostles, (Acts xv.) and so at 
that time unlawful, is now, and upon other 
circumstances, becom.e a thing indifferent, 
like other things. And why then should 
he scruple in this, especially since there is 
no injury done, nor he defrauded of any 
thing? For believing the real presence of 
Christ in the sacrament, he consequently 
believes whole and living Jesus to be en- 
tirely contained under either species; and 
that receiving one kind, he is truly parta- 
ker of the whole sacrament, and not de- 
prived of cither the body or blood of 
Christ. 



A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



OF THE MASS. 

The Papist misrepresented believes that 
there is an insufficiency in the sacrifice 
made by Christ upon the cross, and that 
his death will little avail us in order to our 
redemption, unless we, by daily sacrificing 
.him to his Father, perfect what he began; 
and therefore, taking little notice of St. 
PauPs words to the Hebrews, chap. x. 14. 
where he says, that Christ our High Priest 
hy one ohlaiion hath perfected for ever them 
that are sanctifed, he thinks he shall never 
be sanctified iDut by the offerings made by 
his Mass Priests, upon their altars, when 
they say Mass. 

The Papist truly represented believes that 
the sacrifice made by Christ upon the cross 
was altogether sufficient; that by it he saved 
and redeemed us, paying the debt of sin, 
and satisfying the infinite justice of his 
Father; that by it he procured for us all 
means for our salvation; all graces in order 
for faith and good works; all the sacra- 
ments; and which of all things is most 
honourable to God, the offering of a sacri- 
fice. But as Christ's worshiping of God, 
his fasting, praying, and su fie ring for us, 
do not hinder or evacuate our worship- 
ing of God, our fasting, sufiering, or pray- 
ing for ourselves; so neither did his sacri- 



AND REPRESENTED. 61 

fice hinder or evacuate all sacrifice for ever. 
And as he instituted fasting, praying, and 
suffering for his followers, that by so doing 
they might apply what he did to them- 
selves; so also he instituted a sacrifice, that 
by it they might apply the merits of his 
sacrifice, and make it beneficial to their 
souls. So that though he firmly believes 
that Christ offered sacrifice for our redemp- 
tion, and by the one only offering, spoken 
of by St. Paul, perfected, by way of re- 
demption, the sanctification of all those that 
are sanctified ; yet he also believes, that to 
receive the benefit of this offering, we must 
also do our parts, by our good works con- 
curring with Christ, and in some manner 
purifying our ov/n souls, (1 John iii. 3.) 
and therefore not omit the best of all works, 
v/hich is sacrifice, which our Saviour Jesus 
Christ instituted at his last supper, when 
leaving to us his body and blood under the 
two distinct species of bread and wine, he 
bequeathed as a legacy to his apostles, not 
only a sacrament, but also a sacrifice, a 
commemorative sacrifice, lively represent- 
ing, in an unbloody manner, the bloody 
sacrifice which was offered for us upon the 
cross; and by a distinction of the symbols, 
distinctly showing forth his (Christ's) death 
until he come. This he gave in charge to 
his apostles, as to the first and chief priests 
of the New Testameiit, and to their succcs-- 




62 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

sors to offer,* commanding them to do the 
same thing he had done at his last supper, 
in commemoration of him. And this is the 
oblation or sacrifice of the Mass, which has 
been observed, performed, frequented by 
the faithful in all ages, attested by the ge- 
neral consent of all antiquity, universal 
tradition, and the practice of the whole 
Church; mentioned and allowed of by all 
the fathers, Greek and Latin, and never 
called in question till of late years, being 
that pure offering which the prophet Ma- 
lachi foretold should he offered among the 
Gentiles in every place, (Mai. i. 11.) as this 
text was ever understood by the ancient 
fathers. 



OF PURGATORY. 

The Papist misrepresented believes (con- 
trary to all reason, to the word of God, and 
to all antiquity) that besides heaven and hell, 
there is a third place, which his Church is 
pleased to call purgatory; a place intended 
purely for those of his communion, where 
they may easily have admittance after this 
life, without danger of falling into hell; for 
that though hell was designed first for the 
punishment of sinners, yet that now, since 
the blessed discovery of purgatory, hell 
may be easily skipped over, and an eternal 
damnation avoided, for an exchange of 



AND REPRESENTED. 63 

some short penalty undergone in this the 
Pope's prison. 

The Papist truly represented believes it 
damnable to admit of any thing for faith 
that is contrary to reason, the word of God, 
and all antiquity; but that the existence of 
a third place, called purgatory, is so far 
from being contrary to all, or any of these, 
that it is attested, confirmed,- and estab- 
lished by them all. It is expressly taught 
in the second of Maccabees, c. xii. where 
money was sent to Jerusalem, that sacrifice 
might be offered for the slain, and it is re- 
commended as a wholesome practice to pray 
for the dead, that they may be loosed from 
their sins. Now these two books of Mac- 
cabees were certainly held in great vene- 
ration by all antiquity; and as St. Augus- 
tine informs us, L, xviii. Be Civ. Dei, were 
then accounted canonical by the Church. 
The existence also of a third place is plainly 
intimated by our Saviour, (Matt. xii. 32.) 
where he says, whosoever speaks against the 
Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven hini^ 
neither in this world, nor in the ivorld to 
come. By which words Christ evidently 
supposes, that though these shall not, yet 
some sins are forgiven in the woild to come; 
which, since it cannot be in heaven, where 
no sin can enter, nor in hell, where there 
is no remission, it must neccs-'^arily be in 



64 A PAPIST 1\IISREPRESENTED 

some middle state; and in this sense it was 
understood by St. Augustine about 1300 
years ago, (Civ. Dei, L 21. c. 13. aiid 24. L. 
6. coiit. Julian, c. 15.) and also by St. Gre- 
gory the Great.- L. 4. Dial. c. 39. In the 
same manner does St. Augustine under- 
stand these words of St. Paul, (1 Cor. iii. 
1 5.) he himself shall he saved, yet so as hy 
fire, where he thinks him to be speaking 
of a purging fire. (Aug. m Psal. 37.) So 
the same lather understands that prison of 
which St. Peter speaks, (1 Pet. iii. 19.) to 
be some place of temporary chastisement. 
Aiig. Ep. 99. And if this great doctor of 
the Church, in those purer tiines, found so 
often in the Bible a place of pains after this 
life, from whence there was release, how 
can any one say without presumption, that 
the being of a third place is contrary to the 
word of God? Neither can the antiquity 
of this doctrine be more justly called in 
question, of which is found so early men- 
tion, not only in this holy father, but in 
divers others his predecessors, who came 
not long after the apostles, and were the 
best witnesses of this doeti'ine. See Acta 
SS. Perpet. et Felicit. mentioned and ap- 
proved by St. Augustine, /. \. de Aiiima et 
ejus Orig. c. 10. 7.^3. c. 9. et t. 4. c. 18. Ter- 
tullian, I. de Cor. Mil. c. 3. et. I. de Mono- 
gamia; S. Cuprian, Ep. Q^. ad Cler. Arno- 
bius, I. 4. contra Gen. (^^c. S^-c. As to the 



AND REPRESENTED. 65 

reasonableness of this tenet his reason con- 
vinces him, 1. That every sin, how slight 
soever, though no more than an idle word, 
as an offence to God, deserves punishmentj 
and will be punished by him hereafter, 
if not previously cancelled by repentance 
here. 2. That such small sins do not de- 
serve eternal punishment. 3. That few 
depart this life so pure as to be totally 
exempt from spots of this nature, and from 
every kind of debt due to God's justice. 
4. Therefore, that few will escape without 
suffering something from his justice for 
such debts as they may have carried with 
them out of this world, according to that 
rule of divine justice by which he treats 
every soul hereafter according to their 
works, and according to the state in which 
he finds them in death. Thus his reason 
convinces him that there must be some 
third place; for since the infinite goodness 
of God can admit no one into heaven that 
is not clea^i and pure from all sins, both 
great and small, and his infinite justice can 
permit none to receive the reward of bliss, 
who as yet are not out of debt, but have 
something in justice to sufierj there must 
of necessity be some place or state where 
souls departing this life, pardoned as to the 
eternal guilt or pain, yet obnoxious to some 
temporal penalty, or with the guilt of some 
venial faults, are purged and purified before 



w 



A PAPIST WrSREPRESENTED 



their admittance into heaven, l^is is what 
he is taught concerning purgatory, which, 
though he knows not where it is, nor of 
what nature the paiiis are, nor how long 
each soul is detained there, yet he believes 
that those that are in this place, being 
the living members of Jesus Christ, are 
relieved by the prayers of their fellow 
members on earth, as also by the alms and 
masses offered up to God for their souls. 
And as for such as have no relations or 
friends to pray for them, or to give alms, 
or procure masses for their relief, they are 
not neglected by the Church, which makes 
a general commemoration of all the faith- 
ful departed in every mass, and in every 
one of the canonical hours of the divine 
office. 



OF PRAYirs^G IN AN UNKN0%\T^ TONGUE. 

The Papist misrepresented is counselled 
by his Church to be present at sermons, but 
never permitted to hear any he is able to 
understand, they being all delivered in an 
unknown tongue. He is taught to pray, 
but it must be in Latin. He is commanded 
to assist at the Church service and to hear 
Mass, but it must be without understanding 
a word, it being all performed in a language 
of which he is altogether ignorant. And 
thus he is miserably deprived of all the 



AND REPRESENTED. 67 

comfortable benefits of Christianity, hear- 
ing but without understanding, praying but 
without reaping any fruit, assisting at any 
public assemblies, but like a stock or stone, 
without feeling, or any the least sense of 
devotion. 

The Papist truly rejjresenled is counselled 
by his Church to be present at sermons, 
such as he is able to understand, they being 
always delivered in the vulgar language 
of every country: — in France, French; in 
Spain, Spanish; in Italy, Italian; and in 
England, English: they being purely in- 
tended for the good instruction of the con- 
gregation present. He is taught to pray, 
and is always provided with such books of 
devotion as he is capable of understanding; 
every nation being well furnished with such 
helps extant in the language proper to the 
country. He is commanded to assist at the 
Church service, and to hear Mass; — and in 
this he is instructed, not so much to under- 
stand the words as to know what is done. 
For the Mass being a sacrifice wherein are 
daily commemorated the death and passion 
of Christ, by an oblation made by the 
priest, of the body and blood of the imma- 
culate Lamb, under the symbols of bread 
and wine, according to his own institution; 
it is not so much the business of the con- 
gregation present to employ their cars in 



^ A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

attending to the words, as their hearts in 
contemplation of the divine mysteries, by 
raising up fervent affections of love, thanks- 
giving, sorrow for sins, resolutions of 
amendment, &c. That thus having their 
hearts and intention united with the priest's, 
they may be partakers of his prayers, and 
ihe sacrifice he is then offering, than which 
he believes nothing is more acceptable to 
God, or beneficial to true believers. And 
for the raising of these affections in his 
soul, and filling his heart with love and 
devotion, he thinks in this case there is lit- 
tle need of words; a true faith, without 
these, is all sufficient. Who could but have 
burst forth into tears of love and thanks- 
giving if he had been present when our 
Saviour was tied to the pillar, scourged and 
tormented, though he opened not his mouth 
to the bye-standers, nor spoke a word? 
Who would have needed a sermon, to have 
been filled with grief and compassion, if he 
had seen his Saviour exposed to the scorn 
of the Jews, when he was made a bloody 
spectacle by Pilate, with an Ecce Jwmo, Be- 
hold the man! Who could have stood cold 
and senseless under the cross upon Mount 
Calvary, when his Hedeemer was hanging 
on it, though he had not heard or under- 
stood a word that he spoke! Does any one 
think that those holy women who followed 
our Lord in these sad passages, and were 



AND REPRESENTED. <59 

witnesses of his sufferings, wanted holj 
affections in their souls because he spoke 
not? Were they scandalized at his si- 
lence? Was not their faith in him that 
sruffered, by which they believed him to be 
Christ Jesus, true God and man, laying 
down his life for the redemption of man, 
sufficient to excite in their souls all the pas- 
sions due from a sinful creature to his 
bleeding Redeemer, his crucified Jesus? 
The like faith is also sufficient to fill him 
with devotion, when he is present at the 
holy sacrifice of the Mass; for believing 
that Christ is there really present before 
him, under the species of bread and wine, 
and that he who lies upon the altar is the 
Lamb of God that takes away the sins of 
the world, what need of more to quicken in 
his soul all the affections of a devout lover? 
Can he behold his Redeemer before him 
and not break forth into love and thanks- 
giving? Can he see him that gives sight 
to the blind, health to the sick, and life to 
the dead, and yet stand still senseless and 
unmoved, without putting up any petition 
to him, without asking any thing for his 
blind, sick, and sinful soul? Can he believe 
that he wiio gave his life for the world, 
and died for our sins, is there befoixi him, 
and not be touched with sorrow and con- 
trition for his offences? — Can he see every 
doleful passage of his Saviour's sufferings 



70 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

commemorated in the several mysteries of 
the Mass, and yet not be filled Avith grief 
and compassion? Is not Jesus welcome to 
a devout soul, although he come in silence? 
Is not the presence of Christ a more forci- 
ble motive to a Christian than any human 
words could be? And if he must needs 
have words, let him behold with the eye of 
faith the gaping wounds of his Redeemer, 
and see if they speak nothing to his soul. 
If they do not, it is because he Avants faith. 
It nothing therefore concerns his devotion 
that the Mass is said in Latin : if the Church 
has ordered it thus, to preserve unity, as in 
faith, so in the external worship of God,* 
and to prevent the alterations and changes 
which it would be ex^>osed to if in the vul- 
gar language, and for other good reasons; 
what is that to him? He should receive 
but little advantage if it were in his mother 
tongue. For, besides that ihe greatest part 
of it is said in so low a voice that it is not 
possible he should hear it; the words do not 
belong to him, but to the priest's office only; 
his obligation is, to accompany the priest in 
prayer and spirit, to be a joint ofierer with 
him, to contemplate the mysteries there 
represented, and to excite in his soul devo- 
tions according to the exigency of every 
passage; according to the directions he fmds 
in his English prayer-books, of which there 
is a great variety extant, set forth for the 



AND REPRESENTED. 71 

help of the ignorant; by which they are 
taught the meaning of every part and cere- 
mony of the Mass, and how to apply their 
devotions accordingly. And if at any time 
he be present at other public devotions 
which are performed in Latin; or should 
say any private prayers, or sing a hymn 
in the same language, which he understands 
not; yet is he taught that this can be done 
with great benefit to his soul, and the ac- 
ceptance of God, if on these occasions he 
does but endeavour to raise his thoughts to 
heaven, and to fix his heart upon his Maker; 
for that God does not respect the language 
of the lips, but of the heart; does not attend 
to the motion of the tongue, but of the 
mind; and if these be but directed to him 
in thanksgiving, in praising or petitioning, 
in humiliation, in contrition, and such like 
acts as circumstances require, he need not 
doubt that God accepts his prayers and de- 
votions; it being an undeniable thing, that 
to say prayers well and devoutly, it is not 
necessary to have attention on the words, 
or on the sense of the j)r-ayers, but rather 
purely on God, of these three attentions, 
this last being approved by all, as of great- 
est perfection and most pleasing to God. 
And this he can have, whether he under- 
stands the words or not, it being very usual 
and easy for a ipctitioner to accompany his 
petition with an ^caroie&t desire of obtaining 



72 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

his suit, though the language in which it is 
worded be unknown to him. 



OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT. 

The Papist misrepresented is kept in igno- 
rance as to the essential part of his duty 
towards God, never being permitted to 
know the commandments but by halves; for 
in the books delivered to him for his in- 
struction, such as catechisms and manuals, 
the second commandment is wholly left out, 
and he by this means is taught to fall into 
all sorts of superstitious worship, and down- 
right idolatry. 

The Papist truly represented is instructed 
in his whole duty towaards God, and most 
especially in the ten commandments. He 
is taught to understand them all and every 
one; that there is an obligation of observ- 
ing them under pain of eternal damnation, 
and that whosoever breaks any one of them 
loses the favour of God, and as certainly 
hazards the loss of his soul as if he broke 
them all. And though in some short cate- 
chisms in which the whole Christian doctrine 
is delivered in the most compendious and 
easy method in condescension to weak me- 
mories, and low capacities, the second com- 
mandment, as it is reckoned by some, be 
omitted; yet it is to be seen at length ia 



AND REVRESENTED. T3 

Other catechisms, manuals, and doctrinal 
books, to be met with every where in great 
plenty. And if any one should chance not 
to see any of these, yet would he be out of 
all danger of falling into any superstitious 
worship or idolatry; for that having read 
the first commandment. Thou shall have no 
other Gods before 77ie, he is taught by this, 
that he is commanded to serve, love, adore 
and worship one only true living and eter- 
nal God, and no more; that it is forbidden 
him to worship any creature for a God, or 
to give it the honour due to God; and that 
whosoever worships any idols, images, pic- 
tures, or any graven thing, whatsoever the 
object be, whether in heaven above, in the 
earth beneath, or iia the waters under the 
earth, for God, breaks the commandment, 
by committing idolatry, and stands guilty 
of an inexcusable and most damnable sin. 
Now having been taught that this is the 
intent of the first precept of the decalogue, 
he thinks there can be but little danger of 
his becoming superstitious in his worship, 
or an idolater, for want of the second; 
there being nothing in this but what he is 
fully and expressly instructed in, by having 
learned the first;, it being rather an- expli- 
cation of this than any new and distinct 
precept, and for this reason he finds them 
in his books j)ut together as one, or rather 
as the first commandment, with its cxplicu 
7 



74 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

tion, by which means it comes about that 
there are only three in the first table, teach- 
ing him his ^uty towards God; and seven 
in the latter, concerning his duty to his 
neighbour, which is the division assigned 
by St. Augustine. And though St. Jerome 
observes not this method, but divides thera 
into four and six; yet there being no direc- 
tion in scripture concerning the number of 
the commandments to be assigned to each 
table, nor to let us know which is the first, 
which the second, which the third com- 
mandment, or which the last commandment; 
he is taught that it is but an unnecessary 
trouble to concern himself about the num- 
ber or division of them, when his whole 
business ought to be the observance of them 
in his life and conversation. 



OF MENTAL RESERVATIONS. 

The Papist misrepresenled is taught to 
keep no faith with any that are reputed 
heretics by his Church, and that whatever 
promise he has made, though ever so posi- 
tive and firm, with this sort of people, he 
may lawfully break, and cheat and cozen 
them without any scruple; and though he 
must not do this by downright lying and 
idling untruths, for this would be a sin, 
yet he may make use of any indirect ways, 
such as dissimulations, equivocationsj and 



ATiD REPRESENTED. 75 

mental reservations, and by these means 
draw them into his snares; and this with- 
out fear of offending God, who is well 
pleased with these kinds of pious crafts, 
and allows of these holy cheats. 

The Papist truly represented is taught to 
keep faith with all sorts of people, of what- 
soever judgment or persuasion they be, 
whether in communion with his Church or 
not; he is taught to stand to his word, and 
observe his promise given or made to any 
whatsoever; and that he cannot cheat or 
cozen, whether by ^ dissembling, equivoca- 
tion, or mental reservation, without defi- 
ance of his own conscience, and the viola- 
tion of God's law. This is the instruction- 
he receives from the pulpit, the confessio- 
nal, and his books of direction, and nothing 
is more inculcated in his Church than sin- 
cerity and truth. But as to the doctrine 
and practice of equivocations and mental 
reservations, so far from being approved 
by his Church, he fmds it expressly cen- 
sured by Pope Innocent XI. in a decree 
issued forth March 2, 1679, prohibiting the 
teaching or maintaining of it, under pain 
of excommunication. He is taught there- 
fore to speak plainly and sincerely, without 
any such artifices, which cannot but be 
very injurious to all society, and displeas- 
ing to the first truth. And now if any 



76 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

authors in communion with his Church be 
produced as patrons and abettors of these 
mental juggles, let them hold up their hands 
and answer for themselves; their Church 
has approved of no such doctrine, and is no 
more to be charged with their particular 
opinions than with the unexemplary lives 
of other of her members, whose irregula- 
rities are not at all derived from their reli- 
gion, but from following their own corrupt 
inclinations, and giving way to the temp- 
tation of the enemy. 



OF A DBATH-BED REPENTANCE. 

The Papist misrepresented h bred up in a 
total neglect of the service of God, and of 
all virtue and devotion, while he is well 
and in good health, upon presumption of a 
death-bed repentance, and a confidence that 
all his sins will certainly be forgiven, if he 
can but once say Lord have mercy upon 
me at the last hour. And it is a sufficient 
encouragment to him to rely wholly upon 
this, to see that there is no such proHigate 
villain, none that has lived though to the 
height of wickedness and debauchery in his 
communion, but at his death he shall be 
assisted by a priest, and shall receive aa 
absolution from all his sins, with an abso- 
lute promise of being soon admitted to blisSy 
and reigning with Christ, if he can but once 



AND REPRESENTED. 77 

say he is sorry, or if his voice fail him, 
signify as much by a nod of his head or 
the motion of his fingers. 

The Papist Iruhj represented is bred up in 
the service and love of God; taught to work 
out his salvation with fear and trembling; 
to provide in time of health against the 
last hour, and by no means to rely upon 
a death-bed repentance; for that as men 
(generally speaking) live, so they die, and 
it is to be feared greatly, that those who 
neglect God Almighty, and forsake him 
all their life-time, will never find him at 
their death; so that (with St. Augustine) 
he doubts the salvation of as many as defer 
their conversion till that hour. However, 
if any be found that have been so neglect- 
ful of their duty, as to put off this great 
business of eternity t-o the last moment, he 
is taught that in charity they ought to have 
all assistance possible to put them in mind 
of their condition, to excite them to a de- 
testation of all their offences; to let them 
know that though they deserve hell-fire in 
punishment for their wickedness, yet they 
ought by no means to despair, for that 
God is merciful, and who knows but if they 
heartily call upon him, and endeavour by 
sincere repentance, with an humble confi- 
dence in the merits and passion of Jesus 
Christ, he may hear their prayers, show 



78 A PAPIST MISnEPRESENTED' 

them mercy, and give them time to repent. 
These are all the promises tliat can be 
given in this point, and this is what he sees 
daily practised, and if some by these means 
are [)reserved from falling into despair it is 
well; but as for any receiving from hence 
encouragement of coming into the like cir- 
cumstances, he thinks there is but little 
danger, especially since there is nothing so 
often repeated in books, no more common 
subjects for sermons, than the displaying 
the manifold perils of delaying one's con- 
version, and putting off repentance till the 
last hour. 



OF FASTING. 

The Papist misrepresented is contented 
with the appearance of devotion, and look- 
ing not beyond the name of mortification, 
he sits down well satisfied with the shadow, 
without ever taking care for the substance. 
And thus being a great pretender to fasting 
and the denial of himself, he thinks he has 
sufficiently complied with his duty in this 
point, and made good his claim, if he has 
but abstained from flesh; and though at the 
same time he regales himself at once with 
all variety of the choicest fish, and stuffs 
himself with the best conserves and most 
delicate junkets, and drinks all day the 
pleasantest Avines and other liquors; yet 



ANT) REPRESENTED. 79" 

he persuades^ himself that he is a truly 
mortified man, and that he has d^ne a work 
of great force, in order to the suppressing 
his corrupt inclinations, and satisfying for 
the offences of his past life. Nay, he has 
such a preposterous conceit of things, that 
he helieves it is a greater sin to eat the 
least bit of flesh on a fasting day, than ta 
be downright drunk, or to commit any other 
excess, as having less scruple of breaking 
the commandments of God, than of violat- 
ing any ordinance of the Pope, or any law 
of his Church. 

The Papist truly represented is taught by 
his Church that the appearance of devotion, 
the name of mortification, and pretence to 
it, are only vain and fruitless things, if 
they are not accompanied with the sub- 
stance; and that it is but a very lame com- 
pliance with the ecclesiastical precept of 
fasting, to abstain from flesh, unless all 
other excesses are at the same time care- 
fully avoided. It is true his Church has 
not forbidden on these days the drinking 
of wine, but permits a moderate use of it,. 
as at other times, but is so far from giving 
liberty to any of her flock, of committing 
excesses, that she declares drunkenness and 
all gluttony whatsoever, to be more heinous 
and sandalous sins on such days than on 
any other; they being expressly contrary,, 



€0 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

not only to the law of God, but also to ihe 
intention of the Church, which appoints 
these times for the retrenching debauche- 
ries, and conquering our vicious appetites 
And now, if any of his profession make less 
scruple of being drunk on a fasting day, 
than of eating the least bit of flesh, he 
knows nothing more can be said of them 
than of many of another communion, who 
will not break the sabbath day by doing 
any servile work on it, for all the world, 
looking on this as a most damning sin, and 
yet at the same time have but little scruple 
of swearing, cursing, lying, or revelling 
the greatest part of the day, which is not 
because they have nTore libei'ty for these 
than the former, they being all most wick- 
ed offences; but because they that do thus 
are but Christians by halves, who with a 
kind of Pharisaical and partial obedience, 
seem to bear some of the commandments 
most zealously in their hearts, whilst they 
trample others under their feet; scrupling 
many times at a moat, and on other occa- 
sions passing by a beam undiscerned; for 
which their Church is not to be account- 
able, but they themselves, as being guilty 
of a wilful blindness, and a most unchris- 
tian negligence. This is the real case of 
such of his communion, who, on days of 
humiliation, whilst they abstain from flesh, 
yet give scandal by their intemperance. 



AND REPRESENTED. 81 

They have a command of God, by which 
they are obliged on all days to live soberly, 
and to avoid all gluttony and drunkenness, 
and on fasting days, besides this command 
of God, they have a Church precept, by 
which they are bound, if able, to eat but 
one meal in a day, and that not of flesh. 
And now if some are so ignorant and care- 
less as to be scrupulously observant of one 
of these commands, and wholly negligent 
of the other, it is not because their religion 
teaches them to do so, (which detests and 
condemns all such scandalous partiality, 
and complying with their duty by halves) 
but because they shut their ears to all good 
instruction, and choose rather to follow their 
own corrupt appetites, than the wholesome 
doctrine of their Church. 



OF DIVISIONS AND SCHISMS IN THE CHURCH. 

The Papist misrepresented is of a religion 
in which there are a3 many schisms as 
families; and they are so divided in their 
opinions, that commonly, as many as meet 
in company, so many different tenets are 
maintained. Hence arise their infinite and 
endless disputes, and the disagreement of 
their divines, who pretend to give a true 
and solid explication of the mysteries of the 
Christian faith, and yet differ in as many 
points as they write of. Besides, what 



8^ A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

variety of judgments are there in their re^ 
ligious houses and cloisters, no one agree- 
ing with another in their foundation, insti- 
tution, and profession, this being of the re- 
ligion of St. Dominic, that of St. Francis, a 
third of St. Bernard, others of St. Benedict, 
and so on without number, so that there 
are as many religions as orders. And yet 
they pretend to Christian unity^ amidst this 
diversity growing upon them every day. 

The Papist truly represented is of a reli- 
gion in which there are no schisms or sepa- 
rations, all the members of it, however 
spread throughout the world, agreeing like 
one man in every article of their faith, by 
an equal submission to the determination 
of their Church; and no one of them, though 
most learned and wise, ever followed any 
other rule of their' faith besides this, of 
assenting to all that the Church of God, 
planted by Christ, and assisted and protect- 
ed by the Holy Ghost, proposes to the faith- 
fi-il, to be believed as the doctrine of the apos- 
tles, and received as^ such in all ages :. that 
is, all unanimously believe as the Church 
of God believes; no one of his communion 
ever doubting of this, or scrupling to re- 
ceive any thing after his Church's declara^ 
tion. And now, though they all thus con- 
spire in every point of faith, yet there is a 
great diversity among schoolmen in their 



AND REPRESENTED. 8^ 

divinity points, and opinions of such mat- 
ters as are no articles of faith, and which 
never being defined by their Church, may 
be maintained severally, either this or that 
way, without any breach of faith, or injury 
to their religion; and of these things only 
they dispute, and have their debates in 
manner of a school-exercise, without any 
disagreement at all in their belief, but with 
a perfect unity. The like unity is there 
amongst their religious orders, all of which 
say the same creed, own the same authority 
in the Church of Christ, and in every thing 
profess the same faith, and have no other 
differences than as it were of so many steps 
or degrees in the practice of a devout and 
holy life: some being of a more severe and 
strict discipline, others of a more gentle 
and moderate; some spending more time in 
praying, olhors more in watching, others 
more in fasting. Some being intended for 
the catechising and breeding up of youth, 
others for taking care of hospitals and look- 
ing after the sick; others for going among 
infidels, and preaching to them the gospel 
of Christ, and for suck like pious and chris- 
tian designs, to the greater glory and hon- 
our of God. Which dif!ercnces make no 
other difference in the several professions 
than there was between Mary and Martha, 
who expressed their love and service to 
Iheir Lord in a very different employ, but 



84 A PAPIST ]VI1SREPRESE?ITED 

both commcndably, and without any dan- 
ger of prejudicing the unity of their faith. 



OF FRIARS AND NUNS. 

The Papist misrepresented is taught to 
have a high esteem for those of his own 
communion, who cloistering themselves up, 
become Friars and Nuns, a sort of people 
who call themselves religious, and are no- 
thing but religious cheats; under the cloak 
of piety and pretence to devotion, deceiving 
the world, and living to the height of wick- 
edness, under the notion of saints. 

The Papist truly represented is taught to 
have a high esteem for those of his com- 
munion, who undertake that sort of life, 
which, according to Christ's own direction, 
and his apostles, is pointed out as the best: 
a sort of people who endeavour to perform 
all that God has commanded, and also what 
he has confessed as the better, and in order 
to more perfection. They hear Christ de- 
claring the danger of riches, they therefore 
embrace a voluntary poverty, and lay aside 
all titles to wealth and possessions. St. 
Paul preaches, that he that giveth not his 
virgin in marriage, doth better than he that 
does; and that she that is unmarried, cares 
for the things of the Lord, how she may 
be holy both in body and in spirit; they 



AJJD REPRESENTED. 85 

therefore choose a single state, consecrating 
their virginity to God, that so they may be 
wholly intent on his service, and careful 
how to please him; — while she that is mar- 
ried careth for the things of the world, how 
she may please her husband. (1 Cor. vii. 32, 
33, 34, 38.) The gospel proclaims, that 
those that will follow Christ, must deny 
themselves; they therefore renounce their 
own wills, and without respect to their own 
proper inclinations, pass their life in perpet- 
ual obedience. And because the world is 
so corrupt, that to a pious soul every busi- 
ness is a distraction, every diversion a 
temptation, and more frequently the pro- 
vocations to evil, than examples to good; 
they therefore retire from it as much as 
possible, and confining themselves to a little 
corner or cell, apply themselves wholly to 
devotion, making prayer their business, the 
service of God their whole employ, and the 
salvation of their souls their only design. 
And now, if in these retirements, where 
every thing is so ordered as to be most 
advantageous for the promoting of virtue 
and devotion, and nothing permitted that 
is likely to prove a disturbance to godli- 
ness, or allurement to evil, some (for, God be 
praised, it is far from being the case of the 
generality,) live scandalously, and give ill 
example to the world, what can be said, bu* 
that no state can secure any man, and that 
8 



86 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



no such provision can be made in order to 
a holy life, but may be abused? But yet 
he does not think that such abuses, and the 
viciousncss of some, can be argument enough 
to any just and reasonable man, to condenin 
the whole, and the institution itself. Is 
not marriage abused an infinite number of 
ways, and many forced to embrace this 
state, or at least to accept of such particuh'ir 
persons, contrary to their own choice and 
liking? Is there any state in this world, 
any condition, trade, calling, profession, de- 
gree, or dignity whatsoever, which is not 
abused by some? Are churches exempt 
from abuses? Are not bibles and the word 
of God abused: Is not Christianity itself 
abused, and even the mercy of God abused? 
If, therefore, there is nothing so sacred or 
divine in the whole world, which wicked 
and malicious men do not pervert to their 
ill designs, to the high dishonour of God, 
and their own damnation, how can any one, 
upon the mere consideration of some abuses, 
pass sentence of condemnation against a 
thing which otherwise is good and holy? — 
It is an undeniable truth, that to embrace a 
life exempt, as much as can be, from the 
turmoils of the world; and in a quiet retire- 
ment to dedicate one's self to the service of 
God, and spend one's days in prayer and 
contemplation, is a most commendable un- 
dertaking, and very becoming a Christian* 



1 



AND REPRESENTED. 87 

And yet, if some who enter upon such a 
course of life as this, fall short of what they 
pretend, and instead of becoming eminent 
in virtue and godliness, by their unexem- 
plary lives prove a scandal to their profes- 
sion — is this rule and institution to be con- 
demned, or rather they who swerve from 
it? No: let not the dignity of an apostle 
suffer for the fall of Judas, nor the com- 
mandments lie under an as[)orsion upon the 
account of those that break them. 



OF WICKED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES. 

The Papist misrepresented is member of a 
church which is called holy, but in her doc- 
trine and practices so foul and abominable, 
that whosoever admires her for sanctity, 
may upon the same grounds do homage to 
vice itself. Has ever any society, since 
Christy's time appeared so black and de- 
formed with hellish crimes as she? Has 
she not outdone even the most barbarous 
nations and infidels with her impieties, and 
drawn a scandal upon the name of Chris- 
tian by her unparalleled vices? Take but 
a view of the horrid practices she has been 
engaged in; consider the French and Irish 
massacres, the murders of Henry HI. and 
IV. kings of France, the Holy League, the 
Gunpowder Treason, the cruelty of Queen 
Mary, the firing of London, the death of 



88 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, — and an infinite 
number of other such like devilish con- 
trivances; and then tell me, whether that 
church which has been the author and pro- 
moter of such barbarous designs, ought to 
be esteemed holy, and respected for piety 
and religion, or rather to be condemned for 
the mistress of iniquity, the whore of Baby- 
lon, which hath polluted the earth with her 
wickedness, and taught nothing but the doc- 
trine of devils? — i^nd let never so many 
pretences be made, yet it is evident that all 
these execrable practices have been done 
according to the known principles of this 
holy church, and that her greatest patrons, 
the most learned of her divines, her most 
eminent bishops, her prelates, cardinals, 
and even the popes themselves, have been 
the chief managers of these hellish contri- 
vances. And what more convincing argu- 
m.cnt that they are all well proved, than 
that they are conformable to the religion 
taught by their church. 

The Papist tnilij represented is a member 
of a Church, which, according to the ninth 
article of the Apostles's Creed, he believes 
to be holy, and this not only in name, but 
also in doctrine; and for witnesses of her 
sanctity he appeals to her councils, cate- 
chisms, pulpits, and spiritual books of direc- 
tion, in which the main design is^ to in> 



AND REPRESENTED. 89 

print in the hearts of the faithful this com- 
prehensive maxim of Christianity, that they 
ought to love God ahove all things, with 
their whole heart and soul, and their neigh- 
hour as themselves; and that none should 
flatter themselves with a confidence to be 
saved by faith alone, without living soberly, 
justly, and piously, as it is taught in the 
Council of Trent, Sess, 6. c. 11. So that 
he doubts not but that as many as live ac- 
cording to the direction of his Church, in 
observance of her doctrine, live holily in 
the service and fear of God, and with an 
humble confidence in the merits and pas- 
sion of their Redeemer, may hope to be 
received after this life into eternal bliss. 
But that all in communion with this Church 
do not live thus holily, and in the fear of 
God, he knows to be too evident, there being 
many in all places, wholly forgetful of their 
duty, giving themselves up to vice, and 
guilty of most horrid crimes. And though 
he is not bound to believe all to be true that 
is charged upon them by their adversaries, 
there being no narrative of any such devil- 
ish contrivances and practices laid to them, 
wherein passion and fury have not made 
great additions; wherein things dubiou.-s arc 
not improved into certainties, suspicions in- 
to realities, fears and jealousies into sub- 
stantial plots, and downright lies and re- 
corded perjuries inlo pnlj)it, nay gospel 



^0 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

truths; yet he really thinks that there have 
been men of his profession of every rank 
and degree, learned and unlearned, high 
and low, secular and ecclesiastic, that have 
been scandalous in their lives, wielded in 
their designs, without the fe&r of God in 
their hearts, or care of their own salvation. 
But what then? Is the whole Church to 
be condemned for the vicious lives of some 
of her professors; and her doctrine to stand 
guilty of as many villanies as those com- 
mit who neglect to follow it? If so, let the 
men of that society, judgment, or persua- 
sion, who are not in the like circumstances, 
fling the first stone. Certainly if this way 
of passing sentence be once allowed as just 
and reasonable, there never was, nor ever 
will be, any religion or Church of God 
upon earth. A confident undertaker would 
find no difficulty in proving this, especially 
if he had btit the gift of exaggerating son^e 
things, misrepresenting others, finding au- 
thors foT every idle story, chargrng the 
extravagant opinions of evei-y single writer 
upon the religion they profess, raking to- 
gether all the wickedness, cruekies, treach- 
eries, plots, conspiracies, at any time com- 
mitted, by ambitious desperadoes, or wicked 
villains, and then positively asserting, that 
what these did was according to the doc- 
trine of that Church of which they were 
members,* and that the true measures of 



I 



AND REPRESENTED. 91 

the sanctity and goodness of the Church in 
whose communion these men were, may be 
justly taken from the behaviour of such 
offenders. But certainly no man of reason 
or conscience can allow of such proceed- 
ings. No sober man would ever go to 
Newgate or Tyburn to know what is the 
religion professed in England according to 
law J nor would he look into all the sinks, 
Jakes, dunghills, and common sewers about 
town, from such a prospect to give a true 
description of the city. Why therefore 
should the character of the Church of 
Rome and her doctrine be taken only from 
the loose behaviour and wicked crimes of 
such, who are in communion with her, yet 
live not according to her direction? She 
teaches holiness of life, mercy to the poor, 
loyalty and obedience to princes, and the 
necessity of keeping the commandments; 
witness the many books of devotion and 
direction made English for public benefit, 
written originally by Papists; and great 
numbers there are, God be praised, who 
practise this in their lives. And now if 
there be many also who stop their ears to 
good instruction, and following the sugges- 
tion of tlieir own ungoverned appetites, of 
pride, ambition, covetousness, luxury, 6zc. 
who lay aside all concern of salvation, and 
become so antichristian both to God and 
their neighbour, that they are a shame ta 



\f4 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

their profession; why should the Church be 
represented according to the wickedness of 
those that neglect her doctrine, and not ra- 
ther by the piety and exemplary lives of 
such as follow it? Let the character of the 
Church be given according to what she teach- 
es, and not according to the writings of every 
positive opiniator, or the practice of every 
wicked liver, and there is no fear of its 
coming out so ugly and deformed. — Neither 
let any one pretend to demonstrate the faith 
and principles of Papists, by the works of 
every divine in their communion, or by the 
actions of every bishop, cardinal, or pope, 
which are not any rule of their faith. They 
own that many of their writers are too loose 
in their opinions; that all bishops and car- 
dinals are not so edifying as becomes their 
state, and that Popes also may have their 
failings. But what then? The actions of 
Popes concern not the faith of those who 
are in communion with them; they may 
throw a scandal indeed upon their religion, 
but they can never alter its creed. But 
what need of any other return to the nume- 
rous clamours made daily against the wick- 
edness of the Papists? It is a sufficient 
vindication of their chief pastors and popes, 
to use the words of Lord Castlemain in 
his apology, that amiOng two hundred and 
fifty that have now successively borne the 
charge, there are not above ten or twelve 



AND KEPKESENTED. 93 

against whom their most malicious adver- 
saries can find occasion of spitting their 
venom; and that a challenge may be made 
to the world, to show but the first part of 
so many successive governors, since the 
creation, of which there have not been far 
more that have abused their power. And 
as for their flock, and people owning this au- 
thority, it is true that many wicked things 
have been done by some of them; and too 
many like libertines neglect the care of 
their fold, but, however, the generality of 
them live like Christians; few come to 
them, but with their religion they change 
also their manners for the better; few desert 
them but such who seem to be fallen out 
with all Christianity; and whoever looks 
into any of our neighbouring popish towns, 
as Paris, Antwerp, Ghent, &c. will find in 
any one of them more praying, more fast- 
ing, more receiving the sacraments, more 
visiting of prisoners and the sick, more 
alms-giving, than in any ten towns of the 
Reformation. 



OF MIRACLES. 

The Papist misrepresented is so given up 
to the belief of idle stories and ridiculous 
inventions in favour of saints, which he 
calls miracle:^, that nothing can be related 
ever so absurd; foolish, or almost impossible, 



9^i A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED * 

but it gains credit with him; and he is 
so credulously confident of the truth of 
them, that there is no difference to him 
betwi'xt these tales and wliat he reads in 
scripture. 

The Papist truly represented is not obliged 

to believe any one miracle besides what is 

in the scriptuTe, and to aU others^ he may 

give the credit which in prudence he thinks 

they deserve, considering tl>e honesty of 

the relator, the authority of the witnesses, 

and such other circumstances, which on the 

like occasions use to gain his assent. And 

now if upon the account of mere history, 

and the consent of authors, none make any 

doubt but that there was such a one as 

Ccesar, Alexander, Mahomet, Luther, &c. 

or of many particulars of their lives and 

actions, why should he doubt the truth of 

many miracles which have not only the 

like consent of authors and history, but also 

have been attested by a great number of 

eye-witnesses, examined by authority, and 

found upon record with all the formalities 

due to such a process? St. Augustine re- 

\ lates many miracles done in his time, so 

-jj' does St. Jerome, and other fathers, and if 

|! they doubted nothing of them then, why 

»m! should he question the truth of them now? 

.'♦■; He finds that in the time of the old law, 

5? God favoured many of his servants by 

h 

.11 



II 



AND REPRESENTED. f)5 

working miracles by their hands, and he 
thinks that God's hand is not shortened 
now; that the disciples of Christ are no less 
favourites of heaven than those of Moses, 
and that the new law may be very well 
allowed to be as glorious, and as particu- 
larly privileged as the old, especially since 
Christ promised that they that believed 
in him should do greater miracles than 
ever he himself had done, {John xiv. 1.2.) 
And what if some miracles recounted by 
authors are so wonderfully strange as to 
seem to some ridiculous and absurd, are 
they less true upon this account? Is not 
every thing ridiculous to unbelievers?. The 
whole doctrine of Christ is a scandal to the 
Jews, and a folly to the Gentiles. And 
what more absurd to one that wants faith 
than the miracles recounted in the Old Tes- 
tament? Might not such a one turn them 
all into ridicule and buffoonery? Take but 
faith away, and what becomes of Balaam 
and his ass, Sampson and his jaw bone, 
Elias and his fiery chariot, Elisha's mantle, 
axe-head, and dead bones, Gideon's pitchers, 
lamps, and trumpets, the fall of the walls 
of Jericho, Moses' holding up his hands for 
the victory over his enemies, his parting of 
the Red >Sea,. and Joshua commanding the 
sun to stand still, &:c. Might not these and 
all the rest be pointed out as ridiculous as 
any supposed to be done since Christ's tinie?i" 



4 



90 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

A little incredulity, accompanied with a pre- 
sumption of measuring God's works by hu 
man wisdom, will really make the greatest 
part of them pass for follies and absurd im 
possibilities. And though he is so far from 
giving equal assent to the miracles related 
in scripture, and the others wrought since, 
that the former he believes with a divine 
faith, and the rest with an inferior kind of 
assent, according to the grounds and au- 
thority there is m favour of them, like as 
he does in profane history; yet the strange- 
ness of these never makes him in the least 
doubt of the truth of them, since it is evi- 
dent to him that all the works of heaven 
far surpass all his reasoning, and that while 
he endeavours but to look even into the 
very ordinary things daily wrought by 
God Almighty, he quite loses himself, and 
is bound to confess his own ignorance and 
folly, and that God is wonderful in all his 
works, a God surpassing all our knowledge. 
Whatever therefore is related upon good 
grounds, as done by the extraordinary pow- 
er of God, he is ready to assent to it, al- 
though he sees neither the how, the why, 
nor the wherefore; being ready to attribute 
all to the honour and praise of his Maker, 
to whose omnipotent hand poor man's im- 
possibilities are none. 



AND REPRESENTED. 97 



OF HOLY WATER. 

The Papist misrepresented highly ap- 
proves the superstitious use of many inani- 
mate things, and attributes wonderful effects 
to such creatures, which are in a very in- 
ferior rank, and able to do no such things. 
Holy water is in great esteem with him, 
so are blessed candles, holy oil, &c. in all 
which he puts so much confidence, that by 
the power of these he thinks himself secure 
from w^itchcraft, enchantment, and all the 
power of the devil. 

The Papist truly represented utterly dis- 
approves all sorts of superstition, and yet 
is taught to have an esteem for holy water, 
blessed candles, and holy oil, not doubting 
but that such men as have consecrated 
themselves to the service of God in the 
preaching the gospel, and administration of 
the sacraments, have a particular respect 
due to them above the laity, as churches 
dedicated to God are otherwise to be looked 
on than other dwelling-houses; so likewise 
other creatures which are particularly de- 
puted by the prayers and blessings of the 
priest to certain uses for God's own glory, 
and the spiritual and corporal good of 
Christians, ought to be respected in a de- 
gree above other common things; and what 
superstition is there in the use of them? 
9 



98 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

Has not God himself described such inani- 
mate things, and holy men made use of 
them for an intent above their natural 
powers,. and this without any superstition? 
\Vas there superstition in the waters of 
jealousy, (Niifn. v. 17.) or in the salt used 
by Elisha for sweetening the infected wa- 
ters? Was it superstition in Christ to use 
clay for opening the eyes of the blind; or 
in the apostles to make use of oil for curing 
the sick? {Mark vi. l^.). And though there 
be no express command in scripture for 
blessing water, candles, &c. yet there is 
this assurance that every creature is sancti- 
fied hy the icord of God and j^rayer, (1 Tim. 
iv. 5.) and frequent promises that God will 
hear the prayers of the faithful. Why 
therefore should he doubt but that these 
creatures on which the blessing of God is 
solemnly implored by the word of God, and 
the prayers of the priest and people, for 
their sanctification, are really sanctified, 
according to the assurance of the apostle, 
and the promises of God? St. Cyril of 
Jerusalem, who lived in the beginning of 
the fourth century, made no question but 
that, as those things that are offered to 
idols, though pure in their own nature, are 
made impure by the invocation of devils; 
so, on the contrary, simple water is made 
holy, and gets a sanctity, by virtue received 
from the invocation of the Holy Ghost, of 



J 



AND REPRESENTED. 99 

Christ our Lord, and his eternal Father. 
Cyr, Catech. And that the blessed water 
was capable, by virtue received from heav- 
en, of working effects above its own nature, 
was certainly the sentiments of the Chris- 
tians in the primitive times. St. Epiphanius, 
(torn. 2. I. \.cont, Hcer. 30.) relates a passage 
at length, how water being blessed in the 
name of Jesus, and sprinkled upon fire, 
which by witchcraft was made inactive, 
and hindered from burning, immediately 
the enchantment ceased, and the fire burn- 
ed; as also, that a possessed person being 
sprinkled with blessed water, was imme- 
diately cured. Theodoret has the like nar- 
rative of the devil hindering fire from burn- 
ing, and how he was chased away, and the 
charm dissolved by blessed water being 
thrown on it, lib. 5. Eccles. Hist. c. 21. And 
St. Jerome relates, in Yit, Hilarion, how 
Italicus took water from blessed Hilarion, 
and cast it on his bewitched horses, his 
chariot, and the barriers from which they 
used to run, and that the charms of witch- 
cry did cease upon the sprinkling of this 
water, so that all cried out, Marnus victus 
est a C/u'lsto, Christ has conquered Marnus 
the idol. And now, there is no jeering or 
ridiculing those things, that will ever make 
them look like idle superstitions, to one that 
considers seriously how much they are 
grounded upon reason, tlie word of God, 



100 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



»fir»o^ 



antiquity, and the authority and practice 
of the Catholic Church, which approves the 
use of them, yet so as plainly to teach that 
there is no confidence to be put in any 
thing, but only in Jesus Christ; and that 
whatever power these things have, they 
have it not of themselves, but only from 
heaven, and by the invocation of the name 
of Jesus, who, as by his heavenly blessings 
he enables us to do things above the power 
of nature, so also, by the prayers of his 
Church, he blesses these things in order to 
the working effects above their own natural 
qualities, that by them his fatherly benefits 
may be applied to us, and that so the faith- 
ful may more particularly honour and bless 
him in all his creatures. 



OF BREEDING UP PEOPLE IN IGNORANCE. 

The Papist misrepresented is trained up 
in ignorance; and it is the chief means 
made use of by his Church for preserving 
men in that communion, to hide from them 
the manifold mysteries of iniquity, her sot- 
tish superstitions, her unchristian doctrines, 
by performing all in unknown tongues, and 
not permitting the poor misled people to 
look into or understand any thing that they 
believe or profess. And by this blindness 
they are persuaded to embrace such infinite 
numbers of gross errors, that were but the 



AND REPRESENTED. 101 

veil taken from their eyes but for one half 
hour, and they but permitted to have one 
fair prospect of their religion, thousands 
and thousands would daily desert her, and 
come over to the truth. 

The Papist truly represented has all the 
liberty, encouragement, and convenience of 
becoming learned, of any people or persua- 
sion whatsoever. And none that has ever 
looked over any library, but has found that 
the greatest number and choicest books of 
all sciences have had men of his communion 
for their authors; none, that in his travels 
has taken a thorough view of the universi- 
ties in Popish countries, of Paris, Louvain, 
Salamanca, Bologna, &c. and considered 
their laborious studies in philosophy, divin- 
ity, history, the fathers, councils, scriptures, 
&c. — and, besides the students here, has 
seen how many thousands there are in re- 
ligious houses, who, free from the disturb- 
ances of the world, make virtue and learn- 
ing the business of their whole life, will 
ever lay ignorance to the charge of the 
Papists, but must in justice confess, that 
amongst them are to be found as many and 
as good scholars as amongst any people or 
societies in the world. And as for the vul- 
gar or common sort of that profession^ 
though they understand not Latin, yet they 
are not trained up in ignorance of their 



102 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

religion, nor led along in blindness, but are 
so well provided with books, in their own 
mother tongue, of instruction and devotion, 
wherein are explained the whole duty of a 
Christian, every mystery of their faith, and 
all the offices and ceremonies performed in 
the Church, that they must be very negli- 
gent, or else have very mean parts, who do 
not arrive at a sufficient knowledge of their 
obligation in every respect. And whoever 
has seen the great pains and care some good 
men take abroad in explaining on Sundays 
and holy days, in their churches, and on 
week-days in the streets, the Christian doc- 
trine to the crowds of the ignorant and 
meaner sort of people, not omitting to re- 
ward such as answer w-eW ^vith some small 
gifts, to encourage youth, and provoke them 
to commendable emulation, will never say 
that the Papists keep the poor people in 
ignorance, and hide from them their reli- 
gion; but rather that they use all means for 
instructing the ignorant, and omit nothing 
that can any way conduce to the breeding 
up of youth in the knowledge of their faith, 
and letting them see into the religion they 
are to profess. Neither does it seem to him 
even so much as probable, tiiat if the Church 
offices and services, &c. were performed in 
the vulgar tongue, that upon this the now 
ignorant people would immediately discover 
so many idle superstitions, senseless devo* 



AND REPRESENTED. 103 

tions, and gross errors, that they would in 
great numbers, upon the sight, become de- 
serters of that communion of which they 
are now professed members. For since 
there is nothing done but in a language 
which the learned, judicious, and leading 
men of all nations every where understand, 
and yet these espy nothing to fright them 
from their faith; but notwithstanding the 
seeing all through and through, they yet 
admire all for solid, holy, and apostolical, 
and remain stedfast in their profession — 
how can it be imagined that the vulgar, 
weak, and unlearned sort, did they under- 
stand all as well as they, w^ould espy any 
such errors and superstitions, which these 
others, with all their learning and judg- 
ment, cannot discover? No, — he thinks 
there is no reason to fear that what passes 
the test among the wise and learned, can 
be groundedly called in question by the 
multitude. 



OF THE UNCHARITABLENESS OF THE PAPISTS. 

The Papist mlsrcpresenlcd is taught by 
his Church to be very uncharitable, and to 
damn all that arc not of his persuasion, — 
so that let persons be ever so just in their 
dealings, ever so charitable to the poor, ever 
so constant in their devotions, — though they 
^coofcss Jesus Christ, and believe his incar- 



104 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

nation, passion, resurrection, and ascension, 
yet if they are not in the communion of 
his Church, or if they disbelieve any one 
article declared by any of his general coun- 
cils, he marks them out for schismatics and 
heretics, and sends them to hell without 
mercy. 

The Papist truly represented is taught by 
his Church to have a universal charity for 
all mankind; to wish well to all, to pray for 
all, to exercise both the corporal and spiri- 
tual works of mercy, according to his abil- 
ity, to all of what persuasion soever. But 
then charity and truth are not to be sepa- 
rated; and it would be a false charity to 
promise heaven to any of those whom the 
word of God condemns to hell. Hence he 
thinks it no part of the duty of charity to 
judge favourably of the salvation of any 
of those who die in mortal sin unrepented 
of; for such a judgment as this would do 
them no service, and would hurt himself. 
Now if we believe plain scripture, and the 
universal tradition of the fathers, and all 
antiquity, — heresy and schisms are mortal 
sins; and therefore, in saying that heretics 
and schismatics are out of the state of sal- 
vation, his judgment is not uncharitable, 
because he advances nothing but a scripture 
truth. St. -Paul in plain terms declares the 
$au)e, {Galat, v. 20, 21.) where he reckons 



t 



J 



AND REPRESENTED. 105 

sects and heresies among those sins of which 
he pronounces that they that do such things 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Nor 
is he uncharitable in thinking those guilty 
of heresy that obstinately refuse to believe 
any part of the divine revelation; or those 
guilty of schism, that wilfully separate them- 
selves from the communion of the Church, 
and refuse a due subordination to its pastors, 
since scripture and all antiquity give no 
other definition of heresy and schism. 

In what then are Papists uncharitable? 
Is it because they charge all with heresy 
and schism that arc not in their commu- 
nion? No; for they except all those whose 
being out of their communion is owing, not 
to any obstinacy^ carelessness, ivorldly inte- 
rest, or human respect, — but purely to their 
being deprived of the means of knowing 
the truth, which they would gladly em- 
brace if they knew it; for such as these in 
the desire and disposition of their souls are 
in the Church, and therefore are neither 
heretics nor schismatics. Or are they un- 
charitable in restraining the whole Church 
of Christ to one communion, and believing 
that to be their own? No: for nothing 
is more evident in scripture; nothing is 
more unanimously received by all antiquity 
as a first principle in our religion, than 
that the Church of Christ can be but one, 
cno fold, under one shepherd, one body, 



106 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

one spouse, one house, one city, one king 
dom, and consequently one society, united 
in one faith, and in one communion, at first 
established by Christ and his blessed apos- 
tles, and descending by an uninterrupted 
succession from them, ever one, holy, ca- 
tholic and apostolical; and that the wilful 
breaking off from this original communion 
is the crime of schism, as the departing 
fiNDm its faith is the crime of heresy. So 
that it is evident that many sects, disagree- 
ing in faith, and divided in communion, 
cannot compose the one, holy, catholic, and 
apostolical church of Christ; and thei^fore 
it cannot be uncharitable to maintain that 
the whole Church is but one in communion. 
And as all the marks of the Church agree 
to no other communion but his, it cannot be 
uncharitable in the Papist to believe that 
his Church is the true Church of Christ, and 
upon this conviction to invite all to her com- 
munion. For she alone has an uninterrup- 
ted succession of her pastors from the apos- 
tles of Christ, — She alone has always been 
one, by her members professing one faith, 
in one communion, under one chief pastor, 
succeeding St. Peter, to whom Christ com- 
mitted the charge of his whole flock, (John 
xxi. 15, &c.) and the keys of heaven. (Matt. 
xvi. 19.) She alone has been always holy, 
and teaching all holiness, by inviting all to 
holiness, by affording all helps -and means 



r 



AND REPRESENTED. 107 

of "holiness, and by having in all ages in- 
numerable holy ones in her communion. 
She alone is catholic or universal, by sub- 
sisting in all ages by teaching all nations, 
and by maintaining all truths. She alone 
is apostolical, hy deriving her doctrine, her 
communion, her orders and mission from 
the apostles of Christ. She alone has con- 
verted infidel nations with their kings to 
the faith of Christ; and to this day sends 
her priests and missionaries into all parts 
of the world, to propagate the kingdom of 
Christ. — She alone has been in all ages 
illustrated by innumerable miracles, and by 
the wonderful lives and deaths of innumer- 
able saints. — All other sects began by sepa- 
rating from her; their first teachers went 
out from her, and had before acknowledged 
her authority; they were all censured by 
her at their first appearance; but she never 
departed or separated from any more an- 
cient church, or was ever censured by any 
lawful authority. In a word, she is the 
great body of Christians, descending from 
the primitive Apostolical Church, conse- 
quently she is the One, Holy, Catholic, and 
Apostolical Church. 



OF INNOVATIONS IN MATTERS OF FAITH. 

The Popish Church as misrepresented has 
nwde several innovations in matters of laith; 



lOS 



A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 



and howsoever she lays claim to antiquity, 
with a pretence of having preserved the doc- 
trine of the apostles inviolable and entire, 
yet it is evident to any serious observer, 
that the greatest part of her belief is mere 
novelties, not bearing date from Christ or 
his apostles, but only from some of her 
more modern synods, there scarce having 
passed any age yet, wherein there has not, 
in these ecclesiastical mints, been coined 
new articles, which with the counterfeit 
stamp of Christ and his apostles, are made 
to pass for good and current amongst her 
credulous and undiscerning retainers. And 
besides these, what a great number of errors 
have been introduced at other times; how 
many did Pope Gregory bring in, and how 
many the ignorance of the tenth age? So 
that if we compare the Church of Rome 
now, with the primitive times of the first 
throe or four hundred years, there are no 
two things so unlike; she is a garden now, 
but quite overgrown with weeds; she is a 
field, but where the tares have perfectly 
choked up the wheat, and has little in her 
apostolical besides the name. 

The Papist's Church truly represented has 
never made any innovations in matters of 
faith; what she believes and teaches now 
being the same that the Catholic Church be- 
lieved and taught in the first three or four 



AND REPRESENTED. 109 

centuries after the apostles. — And though 
in most of her general councils there have 
been several decisions touching points of 
faith, yet can no one, without an injury to 
truth, say that in any of these have been 
coined new articles, or Christians forced 
to the acceptance of novelties, contrary to 
scripture or ancient tradition. They have 
only trodden in the apostles' steps, as of- 
ten as they have been in like circumstan- 
ces with them, doing exactly according to 
the form and example left to the Church 
by those perfect masters of Christianity. 
And therefore, as the apostles, in their as- 
sembly, (Acts XV.) determined the contro- 
versy concerning the circumcision, and pro- 
posed to the faithful what was the doctrine 
of Christ, in that point, of necessity to be 
believed, of which, till that decision, there 
had been raised several questions and doubts 
that are now no longer to be questioned, 
without the shipwreck of faith; so to all 
succeeding ages the elders of the Church, 
to whom the apostles left the commission 
of watching over the flock, in their councils 
have never scrupled to determine all such 
points as were controverted among Chris- 
tians, and to propose to them what of neces- 
sity they were to believe for the future, 
with anathema pronounced against all such 
as should presume to preach the contrary. 
Thus in the year 325, the first Niccnc 
10 



110 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

Council declared tlie Son of God to be con- 
substantial to his father, against the Arians; 
with an obligation on all to assent to this 
doctrine, though they till then never pro- 
posed or declared in this form. Thus in 
the first Ephesian Council, anno 431, Nes- 
torius was condemned, who maintained two 
persons in Christ, and that the blessed Vir- 
gin was not mother of God; with a declara- 
tion that both these his tenets were contrary 
to the Catholic Faith. Thus in the second 
Nicene Council, anno 787, iniage- breakers 
were anathem.atized. Thus in the great 
Council of Lateran, anno 1215, transub- 
stantiation was declared; the sufficiency of 
communion in one kind, in the Council of 
Constance; purgatory in the Council of Flo- 
rence; and all these, together with the sa- 
crifice of the ]\Iass, the invocation of Saints, 
6;:c. in the Council of Trent, ogainst Luther, 
Calvin, &c. Now, though in all these and 
the other general councils, the persons con- 
demned took occasion, from these new de- 
clarations, ta cry out ''Novelties, novelties," 
to fright the people with the noise of new 
coined articles, and that the inventions of 
men were imposed upon them for faith; ^et 
it is evident that these declarations contain- 
ed nothing but the ancient faith; and that 
there would never have been any such de- 
clarations madcy had not the ancient doc- 
trine proposed to them been opposed and 



AND REPRESENTED. Ill 

contradicted by some seducing spirits, who 
going out from the flock, endeavoured by 
making divisions, to draw numbers after 
them. So that the new proposal of a tenet 
is but a fallacious proof of the doctrine be- 
ing lately invented, but a good argument of 
its being lately opposed. It is certain from 
scripture, (Acts xv.) that the apostles had 
never declared the non-necessity of circum 
cision, had not certain men come down from 
Judea, and taught the brethren the contrary. 
And that the consubstantiality of the Son 
had never been defined by any of the Ni- 
cene fathers, had not Arius with his fol- 
lowers opposed this Catholic doctrine. And 
as certain it is the Council of Trent had 
been altogether silent as to transubstantio.- 
tion, praying to saints, &c. had not Luther, 
Calvin, and their disciples, once professors 
of this doctrine, gone out from the flock, 
and upon the presumption of a new light, 
endeavoured to persuade the faithful that 
these tenets, then believed by the whole 
Christian world, were no longer to be own- 
ed, but to be thrown quite aside as unchris- 
tian and diabolical. It was this obliged the 
pastors to watch and take care of their flock, 
and therefore not flying away as the hire- 
ling does when the wolf catchcth and scat- 
tereth the sheep, they assembled together 
in a body,, and declared to all under their 
charge, that they ought not to follow strau- 



112 A PAPIST MISREPRESENTED 

gers; and however these came pretending 
to the shepherd's voice, yet since they came 
not by the door into the sheepfold, but 
climbed up some otlier way, they were not 
shepherds, but thieves and robbers; such 
whose business was not to feed, but to steal 
kill, and destroy. It was this made them 
encourge all under their care not to waver 
but to stand fast and hold the profession of 
of their faith; and notwithstanding all pre- 
tences, by no means to suffer themselves to 
be deluded and led away with strange doc- 
trine; and that they might the better secure 
them from falling into errors, they gave 
them a draft of their Christian doctrines, 
especially of all those points which these mo- 
dern self commissioned apostles did preach 
against and endeavour to undermine; parti- 
cularly declaring to them the faith they had 
been brought up in, which they had received 
from their forefathers, and which had been 
derived even down from the apostles — as- 
suring them that whatsoever was contrary 
to this was novelty and error. And now, 
in the pastors declaring this to the faithful 
where was the innovation? The council 
did nothing but propose fully and explicitly 
what, before their meeting, was the doc- 
trine of all Christendom, and had been so 
amongst the primitive fathers. It was they 
made the innovation, who preached contrary 
to the doctrine thus believed and received, 



AND REPRESENTED. llS 

wliich Luther was not ashamed to own him- 
self guilty of, plainly acknowledging that he 
had separated himself from the whole world. 
But it seems that the whole world was 
then corrupted, and that the religion every 
where professed was overgrown with super- 
stitions, errors, and abominations, such as 
had crept into the Church, some five hun- 
dred years before, some nine hundred, and 
some a thousand ; and it was from these Lu- 
ther separated, intending to reform Chris- 
tianity, and bring it to the purity of the pri- 
mitive times, of the first tliree hundred years. 
Now, was it not strange that so many gross 
fooleries, wicked superstitions, — and even 
downright idolatry, should creep into tho 
Church, and spreading itself through all 
nations, infect the whole world, becoming 
the public profession of Christendom for so 
many hundred years, and be confirmed and 
established by thr laws of every kingdom; 
and that nobody should take notice of such 
a change, either at its first rise, or in all its 
progress of so many ages, — insomuch that 
had not Luther made the discovery, it is 
likely we should never have come to the 
knowledge of these thousand years of er- 
rors and corruptions? Surely no thinking 
man can judge it possible that the very fun- 
damentals of Christianity should be shaken, 
and the religion planted by the apostles 
turned into idolatry, and yet that no le^rn- 
10* 



ir4 A. PAPIST MISRErRESENTED' 

ed man should any where appear to con 
tradict these abominations, no zealous pas- 
tors to withstand them, no pious princes 
to oppose them. History sufficiently satis- 
fies any curious reader, that from the first 
planting of the Church, there has not been 
in any age any man yet that has preached 
any heterodox and erroneous tenets, and by 
introducing novelties has endeavoured to 
infect the minds of the faithful with her- 
esy and superstition, but immediately there 
have stood up virtuous and learned men in 
defence of the truth, in their writings and 
sermons publicly confuting and condemn- 
ing the errors, and giving an alarm to the 
world to beware of such deceivers and their 
wicked doctrine; and withal, never omit- 
ting to record their names to posterity, 
with an account of the time when they 
began to preach, under what emperors, 
and what v/as the occasion of their revolt. 
Was not all this, and even more, done against 
Arius? How many appeared against the 
Manichees? How many against the Do- 
uatists, against the Novatians, against the 
Macedonians, the Nestorians, the Eutychi- 
ans, the Pelagians, the Berengarians? So 
that never any thing had made so much 
noise in the world, so many commotions, 
so many disturbances — nothing has been so 
iinpossible to be carried on with secresy 
' and silence, as the broaching any new her- 



AND REPRESENTED. 115 

esy, or making a schism by the alteration 
of religion, or the starting up of some new 
society and pretenders to reformation. — 
What tumults did the forementioned secta- 
ries raise in preaching their new gospel? 
What stirs and commotions ensued at the 
reformation of church and faith, pretended 
by Luther, Zuinglius, and Calvin? How 
then can it be judged in the least probable, 
that a great variety of erroneous tenets and 
unchristian doctrines should be introduced 
by the Papists, contrary to the sense and be- 
lief of all Christianity, either in the fourth, 
fifth, sixth, or tenth century, and yet that 
there should not be the least disturbance 
occasioned by it, no tumult or opposition; 
but all done with so much quietness — in 
such profound peace and silence, — that had 
it not been for the news brought some ages 
after, we had never suspected the alteration? 
And is this possible? — Is it possible that the 
whole Christian world should change their 
religion, both as to its internal belief and 
external profession and. exercise, and no- 
body be sensible of the change, so as to 
withstand the abomination, or to transmit 
to posterity even so much as the least word 
of its beginning or propagation? Let any 
man upon some consideration tell me whe- 
ther it be possible that this one little king- 
dom of England should fall from the pure 
apostolical doctrine it now professes, inta 



116 A PAPIST MISREPRESEKTED 

downright Popery, or any way alter the 
whole scheme of its religion, and have the 
alteration confirmed by several acts of par- 
liament, and continue in the public exercise 
of it for 1000, 600, or even 100 years, and 
yet no one in the kingdom, or out of it, 
should be sensible of the alteration, but all 
to be managed with such policy and craft 
that the whole business should remain se- 
cret for many ages? And if this be scarce 
to be thought possible of this kingdom, — 
what can be imagined when it is affirmed 
of many nations, of the whole Christian 
world? Can any thing look more like a 
fable or romance? Or can any rational 
man, barely upon such a report, condemn 
the faith and religion of his ancestors, for 
novelty and human inventions; and quite 
laying aside this, take the man for the rule 
of his reformation, who thus, without rea- 
son, justice or truth, has thrown such in- 
famy upon all the Christians preceding him 
for a thousand years. 

But not to insist upon these reasonings 
for the wiping off the scandal of novelty 
from the doctrine of the Church of Rome, 
it would not be amiss here to look beyond 
the tenth century, as also beyond the time 
of Pope Gregory. And if in those earlier 
Christians nothing can be found of that 
faith and profession which are charged as 
.^oyelties and errors against the Church of 



AND EEPRESENTED. 117 

Rome, all the Papists in the world shall 
join with their adversaries, and condemning 
Pope Gregory for a seducer, and all the 
tenth age as ignoramuses, shall in one voice 
with them cry out against all such doctrine, 
— 'Novelty, novelty !- Error, error!' But 
if, on the contrary, every point thus chal- 
lenged of novelty shall appear to have been 
the profession of the faithful in the time of 
the purity of the gospel; if before Pope 
Gregory we find that the invocation of 
saints, the real presence, transubstantiation, 
purgatory, prayers for the dead, the use of 
holy images, relics, the sign of the cross, 
i&;c. were the received doctrine and common 
practice of Christians in those primitive 
times — then shall the Papists remain as 
they now do, being of the same faith and 
religion with those ancient believers, with- 
out any additions or alterations; and all their 
adversaries ought in justice to retract their 
imputation of novelty to the ancient faith. 

In order to this, I intended in this place 
to have given the reader a fair prospect of 
the doctrine and belief of the fathers, of the 
fir&t five hundred years after Christ; but 
finding the matter to increase so much be- 
yond expectation upon my hands, I have 
reserved them for another occasion.* But 

* Sec Mr. Gothcr's ** Nubes Teatium," and 
** the Faith of Catholics,'^ by Rev. Messrs. Ber- 
rin^ton and KirU» 



118 A PAPIST MISREPnESENTEU 

however, upon confidence of what I am abfe 
to produce on this point, I cannot omit to 
assure the reader that the chief and most 
material points charged upon the Church 
of Rome for novelty, the primitive fathers 
do so plainly own to have been the faith 
and profession of the Church in their days; 
and to have been delivered down and taught 
as the doctrine of the apostles; that an im* 
partial confidence need Hot take much time 
to conclude which ai>e the greatest innova- 
tors, those that now believe and profess 
these tenets and practices, or they who dis- 
own and reject them. It is evident that 
every point of this doctrine wliich is now- 
decried for Popery, and basely stigmatized 
with the note of errors introduced of late, 
and a modern invention, is by many ages 
older than those who are charged with be- 
ing the authors of them; that every par- 
ticular article laid to the ignorance of the 
tenth century, or to the contrivance of Pope 
Gregory, are as expressly and clearly own- 
ed, and taught some ages before, as they 
are now at this day; that those great men 
were as downright Papists in these points 
as they are now, and that any disturber of 
Christianity might have as well defamed 
them for believers of novelties and errors, 
as we are at this present day. The faith 
that they professed then, we profess no%v, 
and if any of our doctiines be novelty, it is 



AND REPRESENTED. 119 

Ti novelty of 1800 years standing,- and who 
can question it to be of an older date? If 
it was the public belief of the Christian 
world in the fourth century, who can be 
better witnesses of what was believed be- 
fore them in the three first centuries than 
they? They tell us that the doctrine they 
maintained and delivered is the doctrine of 
the Catholic Church, received from their 
forefathers, and as it was taught by the 
apostles; and we do not find that in any of 
these points they were challenged by any 
authority, or opposed by the pastors of the 
Church, or any writers then living or suc- 
ceeding them, but received always with 
great veneration; and upon what grounds 
can any one challenge them now? Is it 
possible that any one now living can give 
a better account of what was believed and 
practised in the third age, than they that 
immediately followed it? Which will be 
the more credible witnesses of what was 
done in forty-three — those that shall be 
•alive fifty years hence, or they that are 
not yet to come these thousand years? If 
therefore, these holy men declare to us the 
doctrine they believed, with an assurance 
that it was the faith of the Catholic Church, 
so believed by their ancestors, and as they 
had received from the apostles and their 
successors; do not they deserve better cre- 
.dit than lOtliers, vWho coming a thousand 



I 



120 CONCLITSION. 

years after, cry cut against all these seve- 
r§il points, that they are nothing but novel- 
ty and error? It is evident therefore that 
this noise of novelty was nothing but a 
stratagem for the introducing of novelties, 
and that those that brought infamy upon 
these points, by this aspersion, might with 
as great applause, and as easily have laid 
a scandal upon every other article of the 
Christian faith, which they have thought 
fit to retain, and have had them all ex- 
ploded for novelty; and this has been so far 
done already, that even three parts of their 
doctrine picked out by the first reformers 
for apostolical, and conformable to the word 
of God, we have seen in our days clamour- 
ed against for novelty, and thrown by with 
a general approbation, and as clear an evi- 
dence of the charge as ever they laid to 
transubstantiation and the supremacy. 



THE CONCLUSION. 

These are the characters of the Papist 
as he is misrepresented* and' as represent- 
ed; and as different as the one is from the 
other, so different is the Papist as reputed 
by his maligners, from the Papist as he is 
himself. The one is so absurd and mons- 
trous, that it is impossible for any one to 
he of that profession without first laying by 



CONCLUSION. 12fl 

all thoughts of Christianity, and his reason 
loo. The other is just contradictory to this, 
and without any further apology may be 
exposed to the perusal of all prudent and 
dispassionate considerers, to examine if 
there be any thing in it that deserves the 
hatred of any Christian, or if it be not in 
every point wholly conformable to the doc- 
trine of Christ, and not in tlie least con- 
trary to reason. The former is a Papist, 
as he is generally apprehended by those 
who have a Protestant education; such as 
whensoever reflected on, is conceived to 
be a perverse, malicious sort of creature, 
superstitious, idolatrous, atheistical, cruel, 
bloody-minded, barbarous, treacherous, and 
so profane and every way inhuman, that 
it is in some measure doubted whether he. 
be a man or not. The other is a Papist 
whose faith is according to the proposal 
of the Catholic Church, which by Christ^s 
command he is obliged to believe and hear; 
and whose whole design in this world is for 
obtaining salvation in the next. And is it 
not strange, that these two characters, so di- 
rectly opposite, so wholly unlike one to the 
other that heaven and earth' are not more 
unlike, should agree to the same person? 
It is certainly a strange piece of injustice, 
and yet not at all strange to those who 
know, that they that follow Christ shall be 
bated by the world; that those who study 
11 



lis CONCLrSION. 

the wisdom of heaven shall have the repute 
of fools; and that as many as attend the 
Lamb shall be painted in the livery of Sa- 
tan; our forefathers were so before us, so 
Avere all the primitive Christians, the Apos- 
tles, and even the Lamb himself, our Ee- 
deemer. Calumny ever followed them, mis- 
representation waited upon them — and what 
wonder then that infamy was their con- 
stant attendant? And now, if the orthodox 
Christians have thus in all ages had their 
double character — one of justice, exactly 
drawn from what they really believed 
and practised; the other of malice, copied 
from them as misrepresented; it is not at 
all strange to find it so in our days, when 
calumny, malice, ignorance, dec. are as 
► powerful as ever: which though from the 
beginning of the world, that is above five 
thousand years, they iiave it their chief 
business to paint, copy, ^nd misrepresent 
things and persons; yet they never did it 
with so much injury, so aUogether unlikely, 
lis they do now to the Papists, there being 
scarce any point of their faith or profession 
which they do not either blindly mistake, 
or basely disguise. — The Papists believe it 
is convenient to pray before holy images, 
and give them an inferior or relative re- 
spect. These describe the Papists as pray- 
ing to images, and worshiping them as 
idols. — The Papists believe it is good to 



CONCLUSION. 123 

desire the prayers of the saints, and honour 
them as the friends of God. These paint 
out the Papists as believing the saints to be 
their redeemers, and adoring them as gods. 
— The Papists believe that Christ left a 
power in the priests of his Church to ab- 
solve all penitent sinners from their offences. 
These represent the Papists as believing that 
the priests can infallibly forgive all such as 
come to confession, whether they repent or 
not. — The Papists believe there is power in 
the supreme pastor, upon due motives, of 
granting indulgences; that is, of releasing 
to the faithful such temporal penalties as 
remain due to their past sins, already 
remitted as to their guilt, on condition they 
perform such christian duties as shall be 
assigned them, i. e. humble themselves by 
fasting, confess their sins with a hearty 
repentance, receive worthily, and give alms 
to the poor, &c. These make the Papists 
believe that the Pope, for a sum of money, 
can give them leave to commit what sin 
they shall think fit, with a certain pardon 
for all crimes already incurred; and that 
there can be no danger of damnation to any 
that can but make a large present to liome 
at his death. — The Papists believe, that, by 
the merits of Christ, the good works of a just 
man are acceptable to God, and through his 
goodness and promise, meritorious of eter- 
nal happines:.'. These report, that the Pa- 



124 CONCLUSION. 

pists believe they can merit heaven by their 
own works, without any dependance on 
the works of our redemption. — The Papists 
worship Christ really present in the sacra- 
ment, true God and man. These say they 
fall down to, and worship a bit of bread. 
Some Papists maintain the deposing power. 
These will have it to be an article of their 
faith, and that they are obliged to it by 
their religion. — Some Papists have been trai- 
tors, rebels, conspirators, &c. These make 
these villanies to be meritorious among the 
Papists, and that it is the doctrine of their 
Church. Thus there is scarcely one thing 
belonging to their faith and exercise of their 
yeligion which is not wronged in the de- 
scribing it, and injuriously misrepresented. 
But are not the Papists then such as they 
are represented? No: they are no more 
alike, than the Christians of old were, under 
the persecuting Emperors, to what they ap- 
peared, when clothed with lions' and bears' 
skins they were exposed in the amphithea- 
tre to wild beasts, under those borrowed 
shapes to provoke their savage opponents 
to greater fury; and that they might infal- 
libly, and with more rage be torn to pieces. 
Let any one but search into the Councils 
of the Chureh of Rome, even that of Trent, 
than which none can be more Popish ; let 
them peruse her Catechisms, that ad Paro- 
cJwSj.Qx others set forth for pastors to in- 



CONCLUSION. 125 

struct their flocks, and for children, youth, 
and others, to learn their Christian doc- 
trine, of which there is extant a great 
variety in English. Let them examine 
Veron's Rule of Faith, and that set forth 
by Bossuet, Bishop of Meaux. Let them 
look into the spiritual books of direction; 
those of St. Francis de Sales, the Following 
of Christ, the Spiritual Combat, Granada^s 
Works, and infinite others of this sort, 
which Papists generally keep by them for 
their instruction; and then let them freely 
declare, whether the Papists are so ill prin- 
cipled, either as to their faith or morals, 
as they are generally made to appear. A 
little diligence of this kind, with a serious 
enquiry into their own conversation, their 
manner of living and dying, will easily 
discover, that that of the Beast with which 
they are commonly exposed in public is not 
theirs, but only the skin that is thrown 
over them. The Papists own that there 
are amongst them men of very ill lives, 
and that if every corner be narrowly sift- 
ed, there may be found great abuses even 
of the most sacred things; that some in 
great dignities have been highly vicious, 
and carried on wicked designs; that some 
authors maintain and publish very absurd 
opinions, and of ill consequence. But these 
things are no part of their religion; they 
are the imperfections, indeed, the crimes,. 
11* 



126 CONCLUSION^. 

the scandals of some in their communion: 
but such as they are, so far from being 
obliged to approve, maintain or imitate, 
that they wish with all their heart there 
had never been any such thing, and desire- 
in these points a thorough reformation. 
Though the imprudences, the failings, tlie 
extravagancies, the vices, that may be pick- 
ed up throughout the whole society of Pa- 
pists, are very numerous and great, and 
sufficient, if drawn together, for the com- 
posing a most deformed antichristian mons- 
ter; yet the Popery of the Roman Catholics 
is no such monster as it is painted. Those 
things which are commonly brought against 
them being as much detested by them as by 
the persons that lay the charge to their 
disfavour; and having no more relation 
to them than weeds and tares to the corn 
amongst which they grow, or chaff to the 
wheat with which it lies mixed in one heap. 
A Papist the r fore is no more than he is 
above represented ; and whosoever enters 
that communion is under no obligation of 
believing otherwise than is here specified. 
And though in each particular I have cited 
no authorities, yet for the true and exact 
conformity of the character, I appeal to the 
Council of Trent, with which if in any 
point it should be found to disagree, I again 
promise, upon notice, publicly to own it. 
As to the other part, it contains such tenets. 



ANATHEMAS. 127 

aB ai'e wrongfully charged upon the Pa- 
pists; and in as many respects as it is op- 
posite to the other character, in so many 
it is contrary to the faith of their Church; 
and so far they are ready to disown them, 
and subscribe to their condemnation. And 
though any serious enquirer may be easily 
satisfied as to the truth of this, yet for pub- 
lic satisfaction, to show that these abomin- 
able unchristian doctrines are no part of their 
belief, however extravagant some men may 
be in their opinions, the Papist acknow- 
ledges, that a faith assenting to such tenets 
is wholly opposite to the honour of God, 
and destructive to the gospel of Christ. 
Wherefore, since it is lawful for any Chris- 
tian to answer Amen to such anathemas as 
are pronounced against things apparently 
sinful, the Papists, to show to the world 
that they disown the following tenets com- 
monly laid at their door, do here oblige 
themselves, if the ensuing curses be added 
to those appointed to be read on the first 
day of Lent, they will seriously and heart- 
ily answer Amen to them all. 



ANATHEMAS. 

r. — Cursed is he who commits idolatry ;. 
who prays to images or relics, or worships^ 
them, for God. R. Amen, 



128 AI^ATHEMAS. 

II.— Cursed is every goddess worship- 
per, who believes the Virgin Mary to be 
any more than a creature; who worships 
her, or puts his trust in her more than 
God, who believes her above her Son, or 
that she can in any thing command him. 
R. A7ne7i, 

111. — Cursed is he who believes the saints 
in heaven to be his redeemers; who prays 
to them as such; or who gives Code's honour 
to them, or to any creature whatsoever. 
R. Amen, 

IV. — Cursed is he who worships any 
breaden god, or makes gods of the empty 
elements of bread and wine. R. Amen. 

V. — Cursed is he who believes that priests 
can forgive sins, whether the sinner repent 
or not; or that there is any power on earth 
or in heaven that can forgive sins -without 
a hearty repentance, and serious purpose 
of amendment. R. Amen, 

VI. — Cursed is he who believes there is 
authority in the Pope, or any other person, 
that can give leave to commit sin; or that 
for a sum of money can forgive him his 
sins. R. Amen. 

VII. — Cursed is he who believes, that 
independent of the merits and passion of 
Christ, he can obtain salvation by his own 
good works, or make condign satisfaction 
for the guilt of his sins, or the eternal pains 
due to them. R. Amen. 



Anathemas. i2§ 

VIII. — Cursed is he who contemns the 
word of Gbd, or who hides it from the peo- 
ple, in order to keep them from the know- 
ledge of their duty, and to preserve them 
in ignorance and error. R. Amen, 

IX. — Cursed is he who undervalues th^ 
word of God, or that, forsaking scripture, 
chooses rather to follow human traditions 
than it. R. Amen. 

X. — Cursed is he who leaves the com- 
mandments of God to observe the constitu- 
tions of men. R. Amen. 

XI. — Cursed is he who omits any of the 
ten commandments, or keeps the people 
from the knowledge of any one of them, 
to the end that they may not have occasion 
of discovering the truth. R. Amen. 

XII. — Cursed is he who preaches to tho 
people in unknown tongues, such as they 
understand not, or uses any other means to 
keep them in ignorance. R. Amen. 

XIII. — Cursed is he who believes that 
the Pope can give to any, upon ahy occa- 
sion whatsoever, dispensations to lie or 
swear falsely; or that it is lawful for any 
at the last hour to protest himself innocent, 
in case he be guilty. R. Amen. 

XIV. — Cursed is he who encourages sin, 
or teaches men to defer the amendment of 
their lives on presumption of a death-bed 
repentance. R. A7?ie7i. 

XV. — Cursed is he that teaches me A 



130 ANATHEMAS. ' 

that they may be lawfully drunk on a 
Friday, or any other fasting day, though 
they must not taste the least bit of flesh. 
R. Amen, 

XVI. — Cursed is he who places religion 
in nothing but a pompous show, consisting 
only in ceremonies; and which teaches not 
the people to serve God in spirit and truth. 
R. Amen. 

XVII.— Cursed is he who loves or pro- 
motes cruelty; that teaches people to be 
bloody-minded, and to lay aside the meek- 
ness of Jesus Christ. R. Amen, 

XVIII. — Cursed is he who teaches it to 
be lawful to do any wicked thing, though it 
be for the interest and good of Mother 
Church; or that any evil action may be 
done that good may ensue from it. R. 
Amen, 

XIX. — Cursed are we, if amongst all 
those wicked principles and damnable doc- 
trines commonly laid at our doors, any one 
of them be the faith of our Church; and 
cursed are we if we do not as heartily de- 
test all those hellish practices as they that 
so vehemently urge them against us. R. 
Amen. 

XX. — Cursed are wo, if in answering or 
saying Amen to any of these curses, we use 
any equivocations, or mental reservations; 
or do not assent to them in the common and 
obvious sense of the words. R. Amen. 



ANATHEMAS, 131 

And can the Papists then thus seriously 
and without check of conscience say Amen 
to all these curses? Yes, they can, and are 
ready to do so, whensoever and as often as 
it shall be required of them. What then 
is to be said of those who, either by word 
^r writing, charge these doctrines upon the 
faith of the Church of Eome? Shall I call 
it a lying spirit in the mouths of all their 
prophets? I will say no such thing, but 
leave it to the judgment of the impartial 
considerer. One thing I can safely affirm, 
that the tenets of the Papists are as egre- 
giously misrepresented, and shewn in pub- 
lic as much unlike what they really are, as 
were those of the Christians of old under 
the slanders of the Gentiles: that they are 
shamefully calumniated, and severely suffer 
in good name, person, and estate, for prin- 
ciples they as much and as heartily detest 
as those who lay them to their charge. 
But their comfort is — Christ has said to his 
followers. Ye shall he hated hy all men^ 
(Matt. X. 22.) and St. Paul, We are inade a 
spectacle unto the world; and can we doubt 
but that whosoever suffers with patience, 
shall, for every loss and contempt here, 
receive a hundred-fold reward in heaven. 



THE END, 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction . 

Of Praying to Images 

Of Worshiping Saints 

Of Praying to the Virgin Mary 

Of Relics ... 

Of the Eucharist. . 

Of Merits and good Works 

Of Confession . 

Of Indulgences 

Of Satisfaction 

Of Reading the Holy Scriptures 

Of the Scripture as a Rule of Faith 

Of the Interpretation of Scripture 

Of Tradition . 

Of Councils . 

Of Infallibilty in the Church 

Of the Pope . 

Of Dispensations 

Of the deposing power . 

Of Communion in one kind 

Of the Mass . 

Of Purgatory . 

Of Praying in an Unknown tongue 

Of the Second Commandment 

Of Mental Reservations . 

Of a Death-bed Repentance . 

Of Fasting .... 

Of Divisions and Schisms in the Church 

Of Friars and Nuns 

Of Wicked Principles and Practic 

Of Miracles .... 

Of Holy Water 

Of breeding up People in ignorance 

Of the Uncharitableness of the Papi 

Of Innovations in Matters of Faith 

The Conclusion 

Anathtmas .... 



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